2020 Nissan Italdesign GT-R50 goes into limited production

Being on sale for 13 years without any major changes is a rare feat in the car world. Nissan GTR’s R35 generation is one such car, revered back in 2007 as a supercar slayer. Nicknamed the Godzilla, the GTR lived up to its name. But since then, there had been no major update on this fast-moving supercomputer. So Nissan commissioned Italdesign — an Italian design firm if the name wasn’t a clue — to come up with their own take on the GTR, called the Italdesign GT-R50.

Yes, you have seen this car before, when it was only allowed to be driven by professional “influencers” at a media event in Dubai. But this time, the car shown in the photos is the actual production version.

Though it is based on the Nissan GT-R, the front and rear fascia of the car are extensively modded to look very distinct from the parent machine. The LED headlights creep far into the front fender while the grill and bumper gels together to create a stark contrast from the rest of the body. The roofline is lowered by 54 mm. An adjustable massive wing sits at the rear where the rear bumper and diffuser play the same contrast act as the front fascia. An exclusive 21-inch alloy-wheel set completes the package.

Though the exterior gets brimmed with changes, the interior gets relatively few. A generous dose of Alcantara, carbon fibre and leather can be found around the cabin. But none of these are able to hide the 13-year old design of the Nissan GT-R’s interior design.

Italdesign did not stop with the new frock. Mechanical changes are offered with the GT-R50 in the form of added power and torque. With Nismo’s tuning, the GT-R50 makes 710 hp from the same 3.8-litre turbo V6, 110 more than what the GT-R Nismo Edition or Track Edition is able to churn out. Torque gets bumped by 128 Nm, now standing at a total of 780 Nm.

Other updates include a reinforced version of the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and Brembo brakes to handle the extra punch. The suspension is also updated, by Bilstein, with continuously adjustable damping to improve the Godzilla’s already impressive handling manners.

While the Italdesign GT-R50 is by no means a new GT-R, it somewhat brings the Nissan GT-R back into the limelight. But you are not going to see many of these on the road as Italdesign will only make 50 and they are priced at an eye-watering US$ 1.08 million (almost Dhs 4 million). This is at least 5 times more expensive than the costliest GT-R on sale, the Nismo. Does the GT-R50’s exclusivity befit the premium it commands? You’ll need to ask the “influencers” that.