Nissan sent its most famous car to Italy worth $115,000 and once a team of designers were done with it the car's value became $1.1M
Published on Aug 22, 2026 at 11:53 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Aug 22, 2026 at 11:53 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Nissan once sent its most famous car, the fabled Nissan GT-R, over to Italy, and a team of designers added over $1 million to its value.
Many of us who are enthusiasts are huge fans of the Nissan GT-R sports car, easily one of the greatest ever made in modern times.
Yet, incredibly, Italdesign thought it could elevate it even further, in partnership with Nissan itself.
This is the incredible Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign, the first collaboration between the two companies, and one of the Turin design firm’s best-ever creations.
How Nissan and Italdesign created the GTR-50
The car is based on a production 2018 Nissan GT-R NISMO, a higher-performance version of the standard sports car.
This special limited-edition creation celebrated the 50th anniversary of both the GT-R and Italdesign.
Production of the cars began in 2022, and as of August 2026, there are just 19 of the sports cars in existence globally.
The prototype vehicle featured a distinct golden inner element, stretching across the full width of the famous car.
We can also see the hood has gained a more powerful bulge, and new thin LED headlights stretch from the wheel arch to just above the outer cooling intakes.
Italdesign also lowered the car’s roofline by 54mm, with the car featuring a lower central section.
A gold inlay allowed the signature GT-R ‘samurai blade’ cooling outlets to become more prominent as well.
Italdesign heavily reworked the Nissan’s interior
Don’t think that the changes were just a mere cosmetic job, however.
Italdesign worked with Nissan to give the interior of the GT-R a makeover as well.
There are two carbon fiber finishes used across the center console, instrument panel, and the car’s door linings.
“Inside, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign reflects its modern, high-performance pedigree,” said Italdesign.
As with many high-quality special editions, Alcantara is used throughout, with fine black Italian leather also used on the seats.
Matching the exterior are the numerous gold accents we can also see in interior images of the car.
All of these changes, and more, make it an incredibly special creation.
The changes added extra value to the Nissan sports car
A recent Instagram reel by enthusiast Sonny G Cars in New Zealand showed off this famous car.
While differing slightly from the prototype, the Italdesign features were still on full show.
GT-R50 emblems are also visible on the side edges of the car, with this particular example finished in stunning black with a red interior.
Italdesign, however, did not need to rework the car’s performance.
Under the hood, it has a 3.8-liter hand-assembled V6 engine.
Thanks to NISMO tuning, the GT-R50 produces a staggering 710hp and 575lb-ft of torque.
That ensures there is plenty of power for anybody to handle, and in some cases, more than enough.
With the base car costing over $100,000, Italdesign’s changes ensured that these can sell for over $1 million.
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
