Nissan GT-R Production for North America to End This October
We knew the days of the Nissan GT-R were numbered, but the automaker made it official today: production of the muscular Japanese sports coupe for North America will end in October of this year.
In the U.S., two special editions are planned to mark the departure of Godzilla from our shores, both to be sold as 2024 models and due to arrive in select dealerships starting this summer. No more than 200 units will be shipped.
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First, the GT-R T-spec Takumi Edition pays tribute to the eponymous takumi master craftspeople responsible for hand-assembling each GT-R VR38DETT engine. The engine badge acknowledging the takumi will feature red-etched writing, and the engine bay will house a gold VIN plate. Additionally, the T-spec Takumi Edition sports a Midnight Purple paint job—a reference to some of the Skyline/GT-R line's most iconic special editions—along with a cabin finished in Mori Green.
Meanwhile, the GT-R Skyline Edition brings the iconic name from overseas to North America and evokes the beautiful skylines across Japan. It wears Bayside Blue paint—a colour that was retired after the previous generation (R34) but revived in 2019 for the 50th anniversary edition model—and features a cool new Sora Blue interior.
In both cases, there are no changes to the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, which produces 565 horsepower through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive system.
The Car Guide has contacted Nissan Canada to get more details and been told that none of these special editions will be available here. To be clear, there will not be a MY2025 GT-R.
55 Years Strong
The Nissan GT-R originally made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in the fall of 1968. Shortly after in February 1969, a production version was introduced to the public and became well known for its quarter mile time of 16.1 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h.
Fast forward almost 40 years, the sixth-generation GT-R was launched in 2008 (as a 2009 model) for the first time in Canada. Since then, Nissan has given the car various minor changes and facelifts, but the core formula has always remained the same.
Over the years, the GT-R has become a revered fixture in the global automotive enthusiast community and also transcended the car world to become a pop culture icon through movies (including The Fast and the Furious) and video games (Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, etc.).
A new generation is rumoured to be a few years away, likely using an electric drivetrain. Godzilla help us…