It’s Over: Nissan Closes the GT-R Order Book in Japan After 18 Years

Pour one out for the R35-generation Nissan GT-R: Godzilla has finally retired after a nearly 20-year-long production run. Nissan posted a heartfelt message on its Japanese website to announce that it has stopped taking orders for the coupe, and the GT-R’s future is a little murky.

“We have received many orders for the Nissan GT-R, and we have now finished accepting orders for the planned production quantity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage over the years since its release in 2007,” Nissan wrote.

Japan was one of the last markets where enthusiasts could still buy a new GT-R. Production for the American market ended in October 2024, so the nameplate retired after the 2024 model year. Nissan axed the GT-R in Europe and the U.K. in 2022 due to new noise-related regulations.

The R35 project started in 2000 at the request of ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. The coupe was previewed by a series of design studies, including the GT-R Concept unveiled at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, and it made its global debut at the 2007 edition of the event. Sales for the American market started for the 2009 model year. At launch, the GT-R touted a bang-for-the-buck proposition that few rivals could match: it carried a base price of about $78,000 and offered a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 rated at 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.

Brembo brake calipers kept the power in check, and the GT-R stood out with a cool-looking touchscreen-based infotainment system developed by Polyphony Digital, the team behind the Gran Turismo franchise. The R35 received rave reviews from fans and journalists.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the GT-R looks much like it did when it broke cover in the Japanese capital nearly 20 years ago. It’s changed a lot since, however. It received several visual updates during its long production run, and the final iteration of the base model came with an evolution of the 3.8-liter V6 rated at 565 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque. If that’s not enough, the Nismo version posted figures of 600 and 481, respectively.

Price has gone up as well. The last base GT-R cost $123,985 including destination, while the range-topping Nismo started at a whopping $222,895. There are currently 12 new GT-Rs on sale across the U.S. in Nissan’s dealer network; most are in the Bayside Blue, R34-tribute Skyline Edition trim.

What’s next? Your guess is as good as ours. What’s certain is that there’s no next-generation GT-R waiting behind the scenes to take the torch from the R35. If there’s a successor on the way, we’ll need to be at least a little patient to see it. Nissan has previously hinted that the next GT-R will feature some degree of electrification; it alluded to hybrid and electric options in 2022, though in 2024 executives said that the drivetrain hadn’t been finalized and refused to confirm the nameplate was going all-electric. The hybrid option sounds more credible for the time being.

Shown above, the 2023 Hyper Force concept illustrates what the next GT-R could look like. Designed jointly by Nissan and Polyphony Digital, it’s instantly recognizable as a member of the GT-R family tree thanks to several familiar styling cues, including four round taillights, but it looks considerably more modern than the R35. Nissan clearly isn’t out of ideas when it comes to replacing the GT-R, and it cares enough about the model’s heritage to refrain from turning it into another egg-shaped crossover with a spoiler. Nissan also has far bigger things to worry about, however, including tariffs, awful sales, and a failed merger with Honda, so spending money on a low-volume sports car likely isn’t a priority.

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