Nissan together with Italdesign has just created a prototype vehicle, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign. This one-off prototype is the first-ever collaboration between the Japanese automaker and Italian car design house to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GT-R and Italdesign.
Based on the 2018 Nissan GT-R Nismo, the GT-R50 was created “without any restrictions”. The result is a radical muscular machine with a touch of Italian flare. The hood now has a more pronounced bulge and thin LED headlamps that stretches from the wheel arch to the lip above the outer cooling intake. From the side, the visual impact comes from the lowered roofline (-54 mm) and a slightly raised outer portion to give the car a muscular silhouette.
The GT-R’s iconic twin round taillights have been reimagined as a floating item piece – reminds me of the Ferrari 488 GTB if you asked me. The entire rear section is completely bespoke giving the car lots of flare and muscular stance, not like the standard GT-R Nismo was lacking in this department. The retractable rear spoiler when deployed adds a big dose of drama to the car.
Inside, the GT-R50 by Italdesign took a more minimalistic approach with two different carbon fibre finishes applied generously across the centre console. Gone are the GT-R’s bulky centre display and an array of control buttons, replaced by three main control buttons. Other items include a revised steering wheel, LCD instrument cluster display and lightweight bucket seats.
The GT-R50 is not all show and no go. The VR38DETT 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 now develops a whopping 720 hp and 780 Nm of torque thanks to GT3 competition-spec turbochargers, larger intercooler, heavy-duty crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and bearings, high-flow piston oil jets; revised camshaft profiles, higher-flow fuel injectors, and optimized ignition, intake and exhaust systems. Yep, quite an extensive upgrade.
The reinforced six-speed dual-clutch sequential transmission is tasked to drive power to all four wheels. Suspension and brakes have all been beefed up to handle the increased output. Michelin Pilot Super Sport is the rubber of choice to keep the GT-R50 on the ground.
On whether this is the next-generation Godzilla, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Global Design, Alfonso Albaisa said: “Although this is not the next-generation GT-R, it is an exciting celebration of two anniversaries in a provocative and creative way – wrapping one of Nissan’s best engineering platforms and Japanese design with Italian coachbuilding.”
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