Almost 14 years have passed and the Nissan GT-R R35 continues to persevere in a rapidly changing market. Recent rumors point to a GT-R R36 a couple of years away, but the truth is, officially, we still don't have confirmation from Nissan of a successor.
The advanced age of the project begins to put obstacles to the commercial career of the GT-R R35, as we saw recently in Australia, where the Japanese sports car will no longer be sold for not complying with the new safety regulations.
And given the tightening of global emissions regulations, which is forcing the industry to move decisively towards electrification — Nissan also announced an electrified range of models, including hybrids and electrics, by 2025 — the pressure seems to be increasing for the GT-R.
A new generation is increasingly needed if Nissan is to keep the GT-R as its halo model. Some rumors suggest that the GT-R R36 could be a super-evolution of the R35, keeping the base and essentially the kinematic chain of the current one (a bit like what we saw when replacing the 370Z with the Z). Others claim it will be something completely new, with a strong hybrid component. We can only wait.
Until then, TheSketchMonkey's designer Marouane Bembli proposes a deeper restyling of the GT-R R35, heavily influenced by the GT-R 50 by Italdesign — the million-euro GT-R — to update the look of the “ Godzilla".
The GT-R 50 by Italdesign retains the base of the R35, but gives it a bold new skin, more in line with today, as well as new graphics. Since the GT-R R35 was released, there have been huge advances in lighting and we've seen LED take on an ever-increasing role in the identity and style of the models. As someone said, "LEDs are the new chrome".
The adoption of new optics, both at the front and at the rear, in the GT-R 50 by Italdesign contributed decisively to giving a more modern appearance to the sports car, without, however, losing the main lines that define the current generation. It could serve as a starting point for a future R36 or, at best, for a deep restyling of the R35.
I leave you with the GT-R R35 and with the proposal of Marouane Bembli, who also decided to change the flanks, giving them a little more muscle, for a due comparison.
