Nissan builds no-limits GT-R prototype with Italdesign

NISSAN HAS joined forces with design house Italdesign to build an “ultra-limited” prototype vehicle and the result is this, the GT-R50 by Italdesign, a no-limits version of the current ‘R35’ which celebrates the 50th anniversary of both the GT-R badge and Italdesign.

Based on a 2018 GT-R Nismo, the one-off design study will make its debut in Europe next month, and was developed, engineered and built entirely by the Italian design and engineering company.

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The GT-R50 has a redesigned front and rear, along with a roofline which has been lowered by 54 millimetres. A large active rear-wing has been fitted as well, rising from the boot-lid on two uprights.

Rolling on 21-inch custom wheels, the GT-R50 has also received extensive work inside the cabin, with carbonfibre proliferated liberally, along with a bespoke steering wheel and central hub.

It’s not all just aesthetic tweaks though, with the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine being boosted to 529kW and 780Nm.

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The upgraded power is thanks to GT3-spec turbochargers lifted from Nismo’s race car, larger intercoolers, heavy-duty crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and bearings, high-flow piston oil jets, revised camshaft profiles, higher-flow fuel injectors, and optimised ignition, intake and exhaust systems.

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Bilstein also fitted a continuously adjustable damping system for the suspension, while the wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, measuring 255/35 R21 in the front and 285/30 R21 in the rear.

“How often do you get to ask, 'What if we created a GT-R without limits,' and then actually get to build it?" said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's senior vice president for global design.

“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.

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“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”.