Godzilla has been with us for quite a while. In many ways, Nissan has approached the latest Nissan GT-R, the R35 with a beautiful Japanese tradition. In one word, refinement. The idea of taking something already brilliant, and making it better year after year. This is a common tradition with Japanese engineering.
Many complain that just because competitors have redesigned their models completely (some twice over) that Nissan needs to get with the program and redesign their GT-R as well. As true as that might be, there’s no denying that Nissan has done a stellar job at keeping the GT-R not only relevant, but more importantly, a strong competitor in its class.
Nissan’s refinements over the years has worked, the R35 is just as brilliant today as it was so many years back. In addition to subtle visual and performance upgrades, Nissan has adapted the R35 GT-R to the changes in the market. Some variants were softer than others, some were harder edged.
For the 2024 Nissan GT-R model, Nissan has paid close attention to aero specifically for the NISMO version, and the importance of balancing that aero with other performance additions. The new NISMO GT-R seems to have taken a few cues from Porsche and their RS treatment of the new 911 GT3. Nissan has added a big swan neck wing, and carbon bucket seats, along with its potent 600 horsepower version of its tried and true 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine.
10 The Nissan GT-R is Still A Mighty Quick Sports Car
Having been introduced well over a decade ago, the R35 Nissan GT-R proved to be a worthy adversary for the heavy-hitting performance cars of the world. With its dual-clutch and strong turbocharged V-6, combined with an all-wheel-drive system, the 2009 Nissan GT-R was able to rocket to 60 in as little as 3.3 seconds.
This is blisteringly quick considering the Bugatti Veyron, the quickest car in the world at the time was just 0.6 seconds quicker. That’s .6 of a second for a car costing a whopping 21 times as much as the $80,000 Nissan. The 2023 Nissan GT-R can hit 60 miles per hour from a standstill in around 2.9 seconds proving it still has the straight line speed to keep up with most of its competitors.
9 The R35 Still Handles Like It’s On Rails
Nissan’s NISMO division has worked wonders with the new NISMO GT-R, ensuring it has the full race car wing treatment as well as other aero goodies and, of course, big power. The cornering grip and straight-line sling shot-like nature of the brutal GT-R was impressive when new, and remains impressive, even by today’s standards.
It may not be up there with the very best anymore, but that doesn’t discredit its ballistic speed. Because of it’s all-wheel-drive system and clever traction management, the R35 Nissan GT-R has, and remained a true icon in the handling department. The 2013 Nissan GT-R still holds a recorded time of 7:19 at the Nurburgring besting Chevrolet’s C6 ZR1 and Ferrari’s 488 GTB.
The 2024 model is aero-focused with new scoops, air management extractors, and wings aimed at increasing down force while keeping its drag coefficient unchanged. This means the R35 GT-R should be as quick as ever but with more down force
8 GT-R’s Design Has Aged Well
For the 2024 model year Nissan has changed the GT-R’s front styling to be slightly more reminiscent of GT-Rs of the past, with a simpler slightly retro design, the R35 has somehow taken an exciting trip down memory lane. With more subtle design cues hinting at the R34’s nose and more motorsport-like wheels, the 2024 model takes advantage of the world’s current obsession with all things nostalgia. The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R being a key nostalgic car in the automotive world right now. Those cars are just now being legally imported into the United States making the visual changes to the R35 that much more relevant.
7 Spacious Enough For Four (In a Pinch)
Despite having a wide breadth of track/handling capabilities, the GT-R also offers a high level of practicality. Not only does it seat four, but the GT-R also has a full trunk. It’s basically a family vehicle that happens to be insanely rapid. The GT-R has always been a bit more practical than its competitors. This is probably because, if you look back through history, older generation GT-Rs were derived from actual family sedans.
The Nissan Skyline models were more everyday use vehicles that happened to have sporty variants like the GT-Ts and more powerful GT-R models. While being a standalone model, the R35 has not strayed away from its practical roots and has been a huge part of its success. We suspect the R36 to continue this trend.
6 The Nissan GT-R is Still a Relative Bargain
Starting at $116,040 for the 2023 model, the Nissan GT-R remains a performance bargain for a 565-horsepower sports car that can rip to sixty miles per hour in under three seconds. Although it appears Nissan has taken inspiration from the Porsches RS program with the 911 GT3, they have managed to undercut the GT3 RS’s starting price by about $12,000 while also providing an 80 horsepower premium when it comes to the Nissan GT-R NISMO.
In terms of all-out power and putting down strong numbers at the track, the Nissan GT-R can still deliver. At its price point, it may not be as refined as its competition, but the results will still impress. You can think of the R35 as simply a powerful tool by which to achieve great speed, as you may not be an opulent rich material-laden interior, and the mechanical noises that fill the GT-R’s cabin are ever-present.
5 The R35 GT-R Is In Its Fourteenth Model Year
Unveiled all the way back in 2007 as a concept, we think it’s finally time, Nissan. The world deserves an R36, as good as the R35 is we know Nissan is capable of producing a monster of a sports car. Fans have stood by Godzilla for many years now, hoping for a redesign, but still in awe of the R35s reign as Japan’s most intense sports car.
While the R35 GT-R was a huge step up from the R34 generation as a standalone model not based on a sedan, there are hopes that the R36 generation to come will once again compete with the world’s quickest sports cars. Nissan seems determined as they have pledged to engineer a whole new platform for the model which is significant given the GT-Rs worldwide status.
4 The Interior of The R35 Has Become a Bit Boring
By today’s standards, the R35’s interior is not as snazzy as it could be. Although Nissan has refreshed it, the aging cabin isn’t nearly as visually impressive today, as its delivery of outright performance. Nissan has done a great job of updating the Z with its redesign using the bones of the 370Z which is nearly as old as the GT-R. Their rework of the Z has paid off as it is a cabin fit for duty in the price range it occupies. To this end, Nissan could employ a similar strategy with the GT-R’s interior bringing it up to date with a fresh design and newer, higher-quality materials.
3 The VR38DETT V-6 Engine is Powerful But Not That Spirited
The inline-six engine has had somewhat of a renaissance, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t in the GT-R as well. If we can fantasize for a second that Nissan would decide to develop a new inline engine as Mercedes-Benz did just a few years back and now Mazda has too, launching its new CX-90 SUV, Nissan could return to its “RB” roots and give the R36 generation an engine that honors the GT-Rs heritage. A modern inline-six could solve packaging issues within the car as vehicles become evermore complex under the hood, as well as provide the aural symphony we know and love from GT-Rs of past.
2 GT-R Has a Dual-Clutch Transmission, But it Too Has Aged
While we love dual-clutch transmissions, the Nissan GT-R’s remains loyal to an old 6-speed unit. Today it isn’t uncommon to see even the simplest vehicles with 8,9, or even 10-speed autos running around. The Nissan GT-R’s transmission is quick in operation but at certain speeds on occasion it can feel clunky and unrefined.
Way back when the 2009 Nissan GT-R was tearing up the road, beating the supercars of the world, a mechanically talkative transmission might have passed as “motorsport-inspired”, however today refinement and consistency is to be expected from high performance machines.
1 It’s Still Large, And Heavy For a Sports Car
Especially for a coupe, 3,900 pounds is on the heavier side, especially considering the Nissan GT-R has no electrification added to its powertrain. If it did, like some competitors, the car would surely soar across the 4,000-pound mark making it exceptionally heavy. The NISMO car reduces around 100 pounds from the GT-R, but that is still hundreds of pounds heavier than the 911 GT3 RS.
In this space every pound counts, so a car that leans more towards sedan weight is naturally going to be less corner capable. The proof is in the numbers. While the world’s quickest cars around circuits tend to tip the scales nearer to the 3,000 pound mark, the complex, and bulky GT-R just doesn’t have the same finesse while fighting the laws of physics.