Final Nissan GT-R leaves plant after 18 years of production and is going to one lucky customer in Japan

The final Nissan GT-R has rolled off the production line at the Tochigi factory in Japan after 18 years and 48,000 models built.

The GT-R went into production back in 2007 and quickly became a firm favorite with gearheads and speed demons. 

Following a successful and lengthy run, Nissan announced it was halting sales of the GT-R in North America, before revealing it was fully pulling the plug.

Now, the final Nissan GT-R has been built and is making its way to a very lucky customer.

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The final Nissan GT-R has been built

The Nissan GT-R was originally launched as a high-performance variant of Nissan’s Skyline range. 

The cars were fitted with a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V383DETT V8 engine that produced up to 520 horsepower in the standard models, and up to 710hp in the GT-R50 variant. 

Despite the fact that around 48,000 models were built, the GT-R’s engines were assembled by a core group of just nine master craftsmen, called Takumi, and took around six hours to assemble by hand. 

The names of the nine-strong team of Takumi have been immortalized on a plaque attached to each engine they built. 

This week, after an 18-year run, the final Nissan GT-R has been built, and it’s not just any Nissan GT-R – it’s a GT-R Premium Edition T-Spec.

The color is finished in Midnight Purple and is on its way to its new, very fortunate, owner in Japan, according to Nissan. 

“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history,” President and CEO of Nissan Ivan Espinosa said. 

“Its legacy is a testament to the passion of our team and the loyalty of our customers around the globe. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey.”

But will the GT-R make a return?

With the final Nissan GT-R done and dusted, you might think that’s the end for the nameplate. 

But over the past few months, the marque has dropped some serious hints that the GT-R will one day make a return.

Back in April, Espinosa said that making sports cars was part of the camaker’s DNA.

He went on to say the GT-R name ‘will exist into the future.’

The following month, Nissan revealed that ‘people were working’ on a new GT-R, but stressed that the upcoming car would need to be future-proof.

Now, in a press release to mark the final Nissan GT-R being built, Espinosa has once again reiterated that it will likely make a comeback. 

“We understand the expectations are high, the GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special and the R35 set the bar high,” he said. 

“So, all I can ask is for your patience. While we don’t have a precise plan finalized today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”