Nissan's most iconic supercar the GT-R was hidden in a humble coupe
Published on Jun 07, 2025 at 8:19 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jun 03, 2025 at 5:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Nissan used a coupe as a top-secret test mule for its iconic Nissan GT-R, meaning it could keep the car under wraps while still putting it through testing.
Nissan introduced its high-powered GT-R in 2007, and it became a big hit for the marque.
Powered by a 3.8-liter V6 that could produce more than 470 horsepower, the Nissan GT-R was one of the fastest production cars ever made.
Almost 20 years after the first GT-R rolled off the production line, the carmaker announced it was retiring the nameplate.
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However, in a suitable quick U-turn from the marque, it seems as though a new GT-R is in the works, with CEO Ivan Espinosa dropping a rather large hint back in April.
Of course, Nissan has so far remained tight-lipped on any upcoming relaunch, which isn’t unusual for the carmaker.
In fact, back when it was working on the original GT-R, Nissan went to rather extreme lengths to make sure no one knew the car was on its way.
The smart trick involved Nissan using a G35 from its sister-brand Infiniti to test the GT-R’s powerful engine.
Engineers were able to completely strip out the G35 and replace its inside with those from the GT-R, including that turbo-charged V6 and its all-wheel drive system.
They even made adjustments to the chassis and suspension to help it handle all that extra power.
However, it was done so discreetly that from the outside, you’d never know you weren’t looking at the Infiniti G35 coupe.
The G35-GT-R mash-up gave Nissan the perfect vehicle to take out to the track or onto the road, all the while throwing any eagle-eyed car enthusiasts or automotive journalists off the scent.
It was even taken to Nürburgring, where it reportedly clocked a lap time of 7:38 – an impressive feat for what looked like a humble coupe.
Overall, the plan was a success for Nissan. Although some car lovers had spotted the weirdly souped-up G35, most just assumed Infiniti was working on a new model.
This meant Nissan could proudly unveil its brand-new car at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 without any leaks in the run-up to the big day.
Pretty smart, right?
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
