The Nissan GT-R50 was originally created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GT-R in 2019 and Italdesign in 2018. Sure, the pandemic that we’re living through has relieved itself on the excitement of the event, but let’s not get bogged down with some of the setbacks. As such, we know only 50 cars will be made, but the design team recently dressed one of its test cars in a special livery to celebrate the occasion.
By now you’ve likely already seen the first customer example sporting teal paintwork with jet-black front and rear fascias. Much like the GT-R50 and its mechanical similarities with the R35, the display livery keeps the same all-black front and rear ends; the big difference lies in the remaining body panels painted in stark-white with the words test car delicately added on – this example will be used exclusively to complete validation testing of exterior components.
Gallery: Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign Test Car
The white from the exterior also bleeds into the cockpit where the centre console and seats appear to share the same colour palette. Against the striking new design, we’d be remiss not to mention that the GT-R50 is beginning to show signs of age from the inside. Of the many shots in the press release, only three gave a proper look at the interior, and we think that says it all.
Aside from the refreshed appearance, keen readers will likely know what lies under the skin of the limited-run special. However, if you’re new here, it will use an evolution of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine found in the R35, tuned to produce 710 bhp (529.4 kilowatts) – an increase of 110 bhp (82 kW) over the standard showroom models.
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To bridle the added grunt Nissan pulled out all of the stops, adding a reinforced six-speed dual-clutch transmission, heftier Brembo brakes, and reworked Bilstein suspension. Where the rubber meets the road Michelin supplied its ultra-sticky Pilot Super Sport tyres – 255/35 R21 at the front and 285/30 R21 at the back.
As news on the R36 shaped elephant in the room remains to be seen, we’ll simply have to bask in the beauty of the 50th-anniversary celebration and its €990,000 (£880,000) price tag.
Sources: Nissan Motor Corporation, LOVECARS!TV! via YouTube
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President: Makoto Uchida) has jointly developed "Nissan GT-R50 by" with Italdesign for the first time at "NISSAN CROSSING", a global transmission base for the Nissan brand. The Italdesign test car will be on display for a limited time.
"Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign" is a model jointly developed by GT-R and Italdesign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their birth in 2019 and 2018, respectively, and announced that it will be limited to 50 units. I will. The 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT engine, which is produced based on the latest GT-R NISMO and has a maximum output of 720ps, is assembled one by one by a limited skilled worker called "Takumi" at the Yokohama factory. Each engine has an Italdesign-exclusive 50 serial number. The model will be delivered sequentially from mid-2021 after undergoing approval procedures in each market.
The test car to be exhibited this time is a vehicle used for circuit driving mainly for rigidity and durability tests of various exterior parts such as the body, rear wing, and carbon parts.
The commercial model of "Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign" has been reserved by customers all over the world, and there are only a few left.