Nissan and Italdesign team up for ‘limitless’ GT-R prototype

June 29, 2018

Nissan’s GT-R turns 50 the same year as famed design house Italdesign, so the two have teamed up for a GT-R prototype with a twist

The Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign has been revealed as a one-off collaboration between Nissan and the design house to celebrate 50 years of the GT-R and Italdesign.

Based on the GT-R Nismo, the GT-R50 is Nissan and Italdesign’s first collaboration, although the development, engineering and building of the car was all Italdesign’s work, while the design was undertaken at Nissan’s London and San Diego design centres.

No element of the car’s outward appearance remains untouched, including the roof line, which has been lowered by 54mm. It’s longer, wider and lower to the ground than the Nismo on which it’s based, however.

Gold highlights are used throughout the dramatically restyled exterior, while the car’s original features have been exaggerated, and aerodynamically improved. This includes a huge adjustable rear wing.

Performance has been boosted to fit the car’s special prototype status, and the 3.8-litre V6 engine now produces 710bhp and 575lb ft of torque - up from the 592bhp and 481lb ft of the ‘regular’ GT-R Nismo.

Race-spec turbochargers have been fitted, as has a larger intercooler system, adjustable dampers, and heavy-duty crankshaft, pistons, bearings and connecting rods. Upgraded intake and exhaust systems also help to achieve the 118bhp boost.

Nissan was quick to point out that the car is not related to the next-generation GT-R, which is due around 2020, but wouldn’t comment on whether Italdesign would have a hand in the next GT-R’s development. That car is expected to have a high-output hybrid powertrain, and retain its four-wheel drive drivetrain.

“How often do you get to ask, ‘What if we created a GT-R without limits,’ and then actually get to build it?” said design boss Alfonso Albaisa. “This is a rare window in time when two big moments intersect: 50 years of Italdesign shaping the automotive world and 50 years of Nissan generating excitement through our iconic GT-R. So to celebrate this convergence, Nissan and Italdesign created this custom GT-R to mark 50 years of engineering leadership.”