CarBrandLogos archive · Nissan · 2007

NissanGT-R

Hand-built twin-turbo V6 and four-wheel drive, aimed squarely at Porsche.

Photo: OSX · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Nissan history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Nissan GT-R, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

2009 Nissan GT-R Black Edition - Flickr - The Car Spy

Origins

Kazutoshi Mizuno's brief was to build a supercar that did not require a specialist to drive quickly. The result, shown in production form in 2007, dropped the Skyline name and most of the old engineering with it. The VR38DETT twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 is assembled by hand by a small group of engine builders at Yokohama, each of whom signs a plaque. The six-speed dual-clutch transmission sits at the rear in a transaxle with the rear differential and the transfer case, driving the front wheels through a second propshaft running forward alongside the engine, an unusual layout that helped balance a heavy car.

2009 Nissan GT-R Black Edition - Flickr - The Car Spy · The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0

Design and engineering

What it did to the market was blunt. Nürburgring times that matched cars costing three times as much, at a price that undercut a base 911 Turbo in most markets, forced everyone else to explain themselves. Nissan then spent the next fifteen years revising it rather than replacing it, adding power and detail changes almost every year, along with harder Track and Nismo versions.

2012 Nissan GT-R Egoist interior · TTTNIS · CC0

In production

It was not universally loved. The early cars were criticised for a firm ride and mechanical noise, and Nissan's launch control provoked an argument with owners about warranty coverage. Some also felt the electronics did too much of the work, which was precisely the design goal.

2012 Nissan GT-R Egoist · TTTNIS · CC0

Legacy

Production finally ended in August 2025 after nearly eighteen years, one of the longest single runs in the class, with no direct replacement announced.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Engine

3.8&nbsp

Designer

Engine: Naoki Nakada

Body

2-door 2+2 seater coupé

Technical specification

The GT-R, in detail.

Production: December 2007 – August 2025
Class: Sports car/Grand tourer (S)
Body style: 2-door 2+2 seater coupé
Layout: Front mid-engine, all-wheel drive
Engine: 3.8 L VR38DETT twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: 6-speed BorgWarner co-designed GR6Z30A dual-clutch transmission
Designer: Engine: Naoki Nakada ; Exterior: Hirohisa Ono ; Interior: Akira Nishimura ; Chief Designer: Hiroshi Hasegawa ; Design Director: Shiro Nakamura ; Chief Engineer: Kazutoshi Mizuno
Assembly: Japan: Kaminokawa, Tochigi (Nissan Motor Tochigi Plant)
Manufacturer: Nissan