The famed Nissan GT-R is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On the other side of the pond, Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. also turned fifty recently. So, to make both events truly memorable, Nissan and Italdesign came up with the limited-edition 2019 Nissan GT-R50.
What they came up with is not merely a supercar. It’s an automotive tour de force in performance and design. It also comes with a hefty price tag. Here are the top 5 reasons why the Nissan GT-R50 is the ultimate Godzilla.
The GT-R50 is ten times the price of a stock Nissan GT-R
Yes, your eyes are not fooling you. The 2019 Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign is priced at 900,000 euros, or equivalent to $1.2 million, and we’re only talking about the base price. A stock Nissan GT-R starts at less than $100,000 while the hardcore GT-R NISMO starts at $175,540. Interestingly enough, the GT-R50 is based on the GT-R NISMO as well.
But this pales in comparison to the million dollar price tag of the GT-R50. Potential owners can specify a bespoke version of the GT-R50 to create an ultra-exclusive and ultra-rare one-off version. Not even the stock GT-R can offer that type of exclusivity. Of course, Nissan and Italdesign can offer more customization options for the right price. When all is said and done, the GT-R50 can easily fetch $1.5 million or higher.
It has a new and bolder design
Thankfully, Nissan gave the GT-R50 a newer, bolder, and more progressive design. The radical styling is penned by the Nissan design studios in America and Europe, but the distinctive aluminum and carbon fiber body panels are all hand-built by Italdesign in Turin, Italy. The new car is lower, wider, and longer than the stock GT-R NISMO.
The most distinctive styling elements are the ‘samurai blade’ cooling outlets behind the front wheels, new LED headlights, a lowered roofline, and a new power dome hood. Also worth mentioning are the adjustable rear wing and floating LED taillights. Those things are like the thrusters in a fighter jet.
And since converting a stock GT-R NISMO into a GT-R50 is no walk in the park, deliveries will continue until 2020. Nissan and Italdesign will only make 50 examples of the GT-R50. If you like this car and you have $1.2 million to spare, it’s time to act quickly!
The GT-R50 has more power than the GT-R NISMO
It doesn’t only have a more powerful engine. The GT-R50 sounds like Godzilla attacking an entire city into a ruined mess. I’m not kidding! Our Editor-in-Chief Vincent Nguyen got the chance to test drive the 2019 Nissan GTR-50 by Italdesign at Laguna Seca. Needless to say, the engine note and exhaust growl of the GT-R50 is simply to die for.
The delicious engine note is courtesy of an upgraded version of the VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged motor, which handcrafted, of course. It gets larger and higher-flow turbochargers, new connecting rods, larger intercoolers, a heavier-duty crankshaft, new pistons, retuned intake and exhaust, and a fortified, rear-mounted six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
And the result of all these upgrades? The GT-R50 produces 710-horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. That’s 110 horsepower more than the GT-R NISMO. No wonder the GT-R50 is a different type of beast. Even the all-new Porsche 911 Speedster will have trouble keeping up with the GT-R50 is a racetrack. It is the fastest and most exciting GT-R in 50 years of history.
It’s got new suspension and wheels
Nissan also gave the GT-R50 a new set of legs. It makes good use of new Bilstein continuously variable dampers to further improve handling and cornering. In order to tame the additional 110 horses, the GT-R50 has upgraded Brembo brakes for enhanced stopping power. It also comes with new 21-inch carbon-fiber wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
The Nissan GT-R50 has a luxurious and sporting interior
You’ll find two types of carbon fiber trim inside the GT-R50. The seats are wrapped in genuine Italian leather and Alcantara. The air vents are reminiscent of the fighter jet-inspired floating taillights. The center console has a minimalist look and ditches the standard infotainment system in the stock GT-R NISMO.
The Nissan GT-R50 also gets new racing-inspired switchgear to deliver a genuine racing car feel. Nissan replaced the standard gauge cluster to make way for a new digital racing-style layout. It comes with a bespoke flat-bottom steering wheel, which interestingly enough, the central hub and spokes in the tiller can be customized as well.
2019 Nissan GT-R50 Driving Impressions
But what really makes the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign truly special is the way it drives. It is unmistakably a GT-R with its immediate power delivery and katana-sharp driving dynamics.
And despite the inherent speed and athleticism, the GT-R50 is no harder to drive than a Sentra or Altima. The car has a tendency to overwhelm the senses as you awaken the 710-horsepower engine, but there’s also a reassuring sense of control. This is the ultimate Godzilla, and it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
Nissan remains mum on the next-generation Godzilla. But if the GT-R50 is any indication, we can expect the new GT-R to be as suave, sophisticated, and powerful as this latest creation from Nissan and Italdesign.
