Manuel Nathan
After two years – and now a pandemic – the coachbuilt supercar has somehow avoided cancellations, and is now in production. Customers should expect delivery in late 2020 and early 2021.
Strictly, this should now be the Nissan GT-R51. The concept car was unveiled in 2019 to celebrate the GT-R nameplate’s fiftieth birthday, but it’s taken until now for the car to become a reality. And what a reality.
New pictures show the GT-R50 on the Tazio Nuvolari testing circuit, as it nears the end of its dynamic testing – and it looks even better in the flesh than in the renders we’ve already seen. Customers will be able to choose a livery inspired by the history of the GT-R, with the one above reminding us only 50 will be made.
Italdesign says demand for the car has been ‘significant’ but adds that there are still a limited number of reservations left – out of 50…
‘After we had to renounce the world premiere at the Geneva motor show and, after the partial stop of our production activities due to COVID-19, in early May we have returned 100% operative,’ confirmed Jörg Astalosch, the Italdesign CEO.
As you’d expect, the inside of the car is a heady cocktail of Alcantara, leather, and carbon fiber – and there are flashes of the same gold finish you’ll find on the exterior of the car.
Interestingly, this isn’t just a design exercise; Nissan has tweaked the internals of the GT-R Nismo donor car, too. The hand-assembled 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT engine now makes around 710bhp and 575lb ft of torque, thanks to twin GT3-spec turbochargers and intercoolers, and a wealth of other near racing-spec parts.
Nissan says the crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and bearings, piston oil jets, and camshaft profiles have all been updated, while the engine also benefits from optimized ignition timing along with new intake and exhaust systems.
Nissan has mated the upgraded engine mated to a beefier dual-clutch six-speed ‘box, with redesigned differentials and driveshafts.
But then, you’d expect prodigious power and the components to match it for, ahem, £885,000. And it may shock you to learn that, despite being a flashy, limited-edition supercar, the GT-R50andabit isn’t sold out. 50 units will be produced, but there are still build slots available.
