This beast turned the world of high-end sports cars upside down. Now it is said to be a over $ 1 million collectible that has been snapped up by wealthy enthusiasts.
They say you should never meet your heroes. Saying goodbye is even more difficult.
The shimmering blue titanium exhaust from Australia’s last Nissan GT-R is ticking and crackling in the pit lane after a final attack on Sandown Raceway.
I take a moment to enjoy the surroundings – the smell of hot brakes and tires and the shimmering veil of heat that pours out of the arrow-shaped hood openings.
My lap data is displayed on digital gauges created by the development team for the best-selling PlayStation video game Gran Turismo.
There are close ties between PlayStation and Nissan’s supercars. Video games introduced a generation of enthusiasts to the world of high-performance automobiles, and Nissan gave gamers the opportunity to make the leap from online competition to high-class real-world racing.
Players beat the odds – along with supercars from Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and Aston Martin – to help the GT-R win the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hours.
Victory in the 12-hour race crowned a fantastic run in Australian motorsport for the GT-R, which is affectionately known as Godzilla. It is the only car that secured both the 12 Hours and the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, the latter made possible by a small production of Australian specific “R32” models required for race homologation in 1991.
So it feels right that the final GT-R is in green and gold. The modern “R35” variant first impressed car enthusiasts in 2007 and promised the Porsche 911 Turbo superior performance for around half the price.
Millions watched Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear test in an ambulance end when the otherworldly handle of the GT-R thwarted his plans. Then “The Stig” put down a round in which he defeated many mid-engined exotic vehicles and confirmed Nissan’s claims.
Despite being the oldest supercar sold today, it is still a desirable and valuable machine.
It’s officially listed for $ 256,700 plus road costs, but owners lucky enough to grab the rare and sold-out Nissan GT-R T-Spec are asking for seven-figure sums in the classifieds.
That’s because government bureaucracy cut sales of the GT-R, which robbed collectors of the chance to order one of the last few copies.
Painted in “Millennium Jade”, with bronze-colored rims over a green leather interior with gold stitching, this GT-R T-Spec looks like something an Australian Olympian could wear to an opening ceremony.
Take a closer look and you’ll find that these 20-inch alloy wheels – forged by Japanese motorsport specialists Rays – house oversized Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and are wrapped in super-sticky Dunlop racetrack tires.
The rear spoiler is handcrafted from carbon fiber, and the Bilstein chassis has been carefully retuned.
It comes to life with a deliberate growl when you hit a starter button, and there’s a distant clang like a superbike putting in gear when you put the automatic transmission selector in.
The large rear gearbox is clunky in the city and comes into its own on the track when the GT-R snaps through the gears with a clear crack from the exhaust.
It’s just as good on the way into turns, downshifting done with a triumphant rev up before you tap in and hit the gas.
Nissan’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 isn’t the most sonorous engine on the list of lottery winners, but there’s no objection to the effectiveness of its 419 kW and 632 Nm.
The GT-R sends torque to the rear wheels by default and shuffles the drive forward for all-wheel traction when the computer deems it necessary. The combination makes the weight of the large coupé light and shortens the straights like a real exotic.
It is a unique experience to combine software-operated drive and shock absorber systems with robust, analogue steering, authoritative brakes and surprisingly soft springs.
Nodding and rolling to give the tires maximum support, the Nissan’s soft, high-mounted seat isolates you from the physics experiments that take place on the road surface.
It doesn’t always feel ridiculously fast, but the stopwatch doesn’t lie – in lap times or on the drag strip.
Driving the GT-R at high speed is always a thrill, although the experience had a somber finality.
Conclusion: This Nissan GT-R deserves its place as an Australian auto legend.
Four stars.
Nissan GT-R T-Spec
Price: $ 256,700 plus road trip
Engine: 3.8 liter V6 twin turbo, 419 kW / 632 Nm
Guarantee / Service: 5 years / unlimited kilometers, no service fee
Security: 6 airbags, stability control
Thirst: 11.7L / 100km
Load: 315 liters
Spare part: inflator kit
Originally published as part of Nissan’s legendary GT-R