Skip to main content

At 50 Years Old, Nissan Looks Souped Up and Sexy with the GT-R50 by Italdesign

Nothing against Nissan, but I never thought I’d say, “I want to spend $1 million on a Nissan.” That was, until now.

It’s a new world, my friends.

In its first-ever collaboration with Italy’s Italdesign, Japanese manufacturer Nissan revealed the souped-up new model of the GT-R50 that will commemorate both companies’ 50th anniversaries. It makes that 2018 Nissan GT-R NISMO look like child’s play.

Less than 50 will be made and each will be run roughly $1.06 million. Keep in mind the top-end 2018 GT-R is about $100,000. And, FYI, you can own an entire town for $1 million.

Drawing on Nissan’s GT3 racing experience, the NISMO hand-assembled 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT engine was enhanced for the GT-R50 to produce an estimated 710 horsepower and 575 lb-foot of torque. Even the wheels are ridiculously good looking (and driving), leaning on a reinforced, dual-clutch rear transaxle, as well as stronger differentials and drive shafts that direct power to the wheels. A revised suspension features the BILSTEIN DampTronic I continuously adjustable damping system. For braking, the Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes feature bright red, clearly visible calipers.

And if you weren’t already excited: add Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

The GT-R50 is coated in black with a distinct gold inner element that stretches across the width of the hood and rear. Nissan and Italdesign also pumped up the power bulge in the hood because it looks sexy and why the hell not. The roofline has also been lowered 54 millimeters, lending to an overall muscular look thanks to the slightly raised outer portions.

Nissan GT-R50

Nissan did, however, keep its GT-R “samurai blade,” aka cooling outlets that sit behind the front wheels. From the back, all you can focus on is the supercar’s wide track and muscular flares, and once it’s revved, the twin taillights look as if they’re floating via black magic.

Buckle up inside for a Batman-esque driving atmosphere that is both modern and high-powered. One isn’t enough, so two different carbon fiber finishes were used extensively across the center console and door linings. And the seats? Black Alcantara and black Italian leather. Gold makes its way into understated accents like the futuristic race car-inspired switchgear.

Seeing Nissan’s best possible engineering together with the Italian coachbuilding of Italdesign, we have no shame in saying the GT-R50 prototype is first and foremost a damn sexy car. And yes, we recommend being as superficial as possible when looking at it.

Nissan GT-R50

After all, this limited-run supercar is all for fun. Yes, Nissan loves to surprise us with special edition GT-R models, but we’re confident in saying this golden jubilee knocks the Skyline GT-R Nismo 400R, R35 45th Anniversary, R32 Skyline GT-R Nismo, and 40th Anniversary releases off the speedway.

“Although this is not the next-generation GT-R, it is an exciting celebration of two anniversaries in a provocative and creative way,” says Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design. “How often do you get to ask, ‘What if we created a GT-R without limits?’ and then actually get to build it?”

Damn Nissan, you looking good.

So before you run around bragging about being a Porsche or Rolls-Royce guy, remember this GT-R50 and shut your damn mouth.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jahla Seppanen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Born and raised off-the-grid in New Mexico, Jahla Seppanen is currently a sports, fitness, spirits, and culture writer in…
Why GM is killing a popular (and affordable) EV
GM has big plans for EVs — just not the Chevy Bolt
2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV parked outside a home.

When the Chevy Bolt EV was released in 2017, we took it on a test drive and it exceeded our expectations. Since then, the Chevy Bolt went on to become General Motors’ best-selling EV. According to Kelly Blue Book, GM overtook Ford to become the second best-selling EV brand after Tesla due to the Chevy Bolt’s high demand. Besides that, the Chevy Bolt is one of the most affordable electric cars on the market today.

But despite its success, GM is surprisingly pulling the plug on the Chevy Bolt. “It's now time to plan to end the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV production, which will happen at the very end of the year,” Mary Barra, the CEO of GM, announced the plan during the company’s Q1 earnings call. Why is GM dumping its most popular EV? Well, it has to do with profits.
GM is selling the Chevy Bolt at a loss
When the Chevy Bolt was released in 2017, UBS reported that GM was losing $7,400 for every unit that was sold. As per the report, GM was making a loss because it hadn’t yet ramped up the production of the Chevy Bolt to reduce the cost. Of course, GM was also willing to lose money to make the Chevy Bolt one of the cheapest EVs on the market.

Read more
Pitch up in the best motorcycle tents for camping with your two-wheeler
There's nothing like cruising a backcountry road at sunset, wind in your hair, George Thorogood in your ear, and a few bugs in your teeth.
Wingman-of-the-Road Goose Motorcycle Camping System lake feature

After a few long years of pandemic-fueled "lockup," more and more of us are finally getting back to road-tripping. For some, that means camping across the country in an RV; for others, adventure awaits on the back of a two-wheeler (be it pedal or gas-powered). If you fall into the latter camp, we get it. There's nothing like the excitement of cruising down some backcountry road at sunset with the wind in your hair, George Thorogood in your ear, and a few bugs in your teeth.

If you're planning an extended trip, then you'll be looking to overnight along the way. If an ordinary roadside motel just won’t do, maybe you need a more adventurous alternative. Here are our picks for the best motorcycle tents for camping with your two-wheeler along the way in 2023.
Lone Rider MotoTent V2
Best motorcycle tent overall

Read more
These are the questions you should always ask before buying a car
Here are all the questions you'll need to ask before you get to the dealership and when you talk to the sales rep
BMW M3 inside of a BMW dealership with glass windows and light.

Buying a car has changed dramatically because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, most people would spend hours at the dealership haggling over a final price, agonizing over paperwork, and test driving a car. Now, most of the paperwork can be done from home, dealers refuse to haggle on pricing, and test drives are timed, short trips.
Doing your homework before heading to the dealership is more important than ever. If you’re in the market for a new ride, there are some questions to ask when buying a car. To make things easier, we’ve broken these questions into two categories: what to ask before you go to the dealership and what to ask once you’re there.

Questions to ask before going to the dealership
What safety features are standard?
Car salespeople have to know a lot about a lot of different cars. Giving them the benefit of the doubt for a second, they can’t know everything, so it’s best to do your own research about what kind of safety features a car comes with. This is easy enough, as visiting an automaker’s official website on a vehicle and checking out the features or specs page is the best way to see what features come standard.

Read more