Nissan and Italdesign have teamed up to produce a stunning new take on the GT-R. It’s called the GT-R50, and the prototype will make its public debut in front of the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed starting Thursday.
Depending on how the debut unfolds, and the reaction to the car, an extremely limited batch could enter production with a planned run of no greater than 50 examples, Nissan revealed on Monday.
“The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the ideal setting to showcase the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign, which combines power and artistry to celebrate 50 years of inspiring the dreams of our customers,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design.
Should Nissan and Italdesign find 50 buyers, each would have to be willing to part with at least $1 million for one. Actually, the quoted figure of 900,000 Euros pencils out to $1,057,477.50 at the current exchange rate. That’s about six times more than a buyer would pay for a typical GT-R Nismo, which starts at $177,185.
However, this is not simply a Nissan GT-R that’s been given a few engine upgrades and aero tweaks. Starting with a GT-R Nismo, Italdesign lowered the roof and redesigned the rear window line so it flows farther toward the rear of the car. The hood received a power bulge, the headlights were stretched, and “samurai blade” cooling outlets were added to the front fenders. The car is painted Liquid Kinetic Gray with Energetic Sigma Gold accents.
Inside, the designers added gold accents as well, plus Alcantara and leather trim and two types of carbon fiber on the center console, instrument panel, and door panels. Additionally, Italdesign replaced the standard instrument panel with a digital unit plucked from a race car.
Mechanical changes have been made as well. The larger GT3-spec turbochargers also came from a race car. Now, the 3.8-liter V-6 produces a far more mighty 710 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, which is a hefty jump over the 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of a standard GT-R Nismo.
The reworked body is actually handbuilt by Italdesign craftsmen, which means building the 50 examples will be a laborious process. That’s one of the reasons the Italdesign GT-R50 would carry the eye-watering $1 million dollar starting price.
While the GT-R50 is heavily transformed over a stock GT-R, we’re not sure buyers will get $1 million worth of car. Yes, the engine and gearbox have been beefed up for the added power. Sure, the suspension has been revised and the brakes have been upgraded. And of course, the handbuilt bodywork is amazing.
But will 50 people raise their hands to pay that much? After the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we’ll find out.
