Nissan is about as far removed from the million-dollar collector car universe as possible. A mass-market automaker bound by pragmatic selling points like cargo capacity and fuel economy deals in volume, not exclusivity.
What, then, should we make of the $1.1M GT-R50? Co-developed by Italdesign, a renowned design and engineering house, the GT-R50 is a faster, lighter, and more elegant take on Nissan’s sports car icon — timed at the 50th anniversary of both Italian and Japanese brands. Clad in carbon fiber bodywork and gold accents, Nissan’s first seven-figure model cannonballs into the hypercar pool. Amidst titans like the Koenigsegg Agera and Pagani Huayra, the GT-R50 must do no less than dazzle during our short test drive in Malibu, CA.
Styling certainly doesn’t disappoint. Aggression and sophistication pour out from the GT-R50’s matte gray exterior. A long hood flows into a shark-like snout, with thin LED headlights decorating each front corner. Prominent carbon fiber wheels house red Brembo brake calipers and tuck neatly within the lowered body. A cropped roofline transforms the GT-R’s silhouette and emphasizes the car’s aero-optimized curves. At the rear, gold surfaces emerge from within a gray sheath. An active rear wing flattens over turbine taillights or rises to create immense downforce. Inside, the GT-R50 is a vision of elegant simplicity, with a racing-inspired digital cockpit, duo-tone carbon fiber trim, and gold accents throughout. Familial resemblance is shared between the striking GT-R50 and its aging donor car, but the two could never be confused.
Exclusive: Nissan GT-R50 Walkaround + First Drive
Miles Branman joins Neil from Nissan's Product Communications team to show off the Nissan GT-R50. This one-of-one project from Nissan and Italdesign celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Nissan GT-R. Based on the GT-R Nismo, the GT-R50 is a re-tuned and re-styled version that makes 710hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. If produced, Nissan will only build 50 examples, each costing over $1 Million. Take a walkaround of this incredible prototype and join Miles for an exclusive first drive! Nissan #GTR #GTR50 #nissangtr Italdesign
Posted by MilesPerHr on Friday, August 31, 2018
Motivating the rarified Nissan is the same 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 from the GT-R Nismo, enhanced to produce 710 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. Corresponding improvements to the six-speed dual-clutch transmission, adaptive suspension, and all-wheel drive system extract greater performance from the track-honed chassis. Malibu’s world-class switchbacks are effortless obstacles at the helm of the GT-R50. Immediate steering response, fluid, lag-free power, and cornering balance conquers the worst of elevation change and decreasing radius corners. No element of the car’s performance is too pronounced; grip, power, and finesse blend seamlessly for a rewarding, tractable drive.
Provided enough interest, Nissan will produce 50 examples of the GT-R50. While exceptional, the car’s performance and design may not impress the collector crowd; it’s Italdesign’s expertise in bespoke construction that could seal the deal.
