Godzilla’s reign on the automotive industry is coming to an end.
While it certainly took a long time, the moment at which Nissan would finally retire the legendary GT-R was inevitable, considering the changing automotive industry and the sweeping wave of electrification worldwide, affecting the performance car segment more poignantly than most others. However, despite being on the market for over a decade and a half, it’s still sad news to see the Nissan GT-R in its R35 generation officially retired. That said, Nissan is sending it off with two special editions that will give the legendary performance machine the sendoff it deserves.
The 2024 Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition and the 2024 Nissan GT-R Premium Skyline Edition are the two special editions ending the R35 generation. Both honor the legacy of the R35 GT-R and its equally legendary predecessors, which were never sold in the United States. The Takumi Edition’s MSRP starts at $151,090, while the Skyline Edition’s starts at $131,090.
Rather than being named after the main character of the Initial D street racing anime series, the Nissan GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition is named after the “Takumi” master craftspeople who have been responsible for hand-building the Nissan GT-R’s incredible twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine, which put it in the performance level of some of the world’s greatest supercars when it was first introduced and still provides robust and thrilling performance today. Its Midnight Purple paint job revives an iconic Skyline GT-R color, and its Mori Green interior adds a degree of exclusivity.
Something of a double entendre, the Nissan GT-R Premium Skyline Edition’s name is both a reference to Japan’s iconic and breathtaking skylines and the Skyline moniker that the Nissan GT-R’s predecessors wore overseas. Bayside Blue exterior paint and an exclusive Sora Blue interior provide an exclusive configuration for the special edition. The Bayside Blue color was also retired after the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 but revived shortly for the 50th Anniversary Edition Nissan GT-R in 2019.
Change is always bittersweet, and while the Nissan GT-R’s discontinuation leaves room for something new and exciting to take its place, it’s certainly not going to be easy to say goodbye to one of the automotive world’s longest-standing performance legends. If Nissan creates a successor for the R35 GT-R, it must meet the expectations of a true 21st-century engineering marvel and one of the most iconic performance cars in recent history.
Image Source: Nissan
