Larry Chen takes the rare 710-horsepower Italdesign GT-R50 for a joy ride
Decades of automotive enthusiasts, tuners, and even casual car lovers can agree that the Nissan GT-R is always a crowd favorite. Even if you don’t like it, you can respect it. The latest generation, better known as the R35, was introduced in 2007 and features a front mid-mounted engine on a proven, modification-friendly platform and all-wheel drive to deliver all that power to the pavement. This Japanese supercar has seen many upgrades and updates over the years, both directly from Nissan and from several prevalent designers and shops. But perhaps the most impressive and rarest true Nissan-collaborated variant is the Nissan GT-R50 by coachbuilder and design house, Italdesign.
Italian coachbuilders kick the Nissan GT-R up a notch
The Nissan GT-R50, redesigned by Italdesign in collaboration with Nissan Design Europe, is reportedly one of only 20 street-legal variants produced for the market, defying Italdesign’s original claims of 50 cars and making it one of the rarest GT-R editions you can buy. Some sources claim that final production before order books closed was even lower than that, but it matters little. Ultra rare is ultra rare! It’s powered by an impressive twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine tuned by NISMO to produce approximately 710 horsepower, keeping up with the car’s reputation as “Godzilla.”
As for the design house itself, the GT-R50 is merely another notch on its belt of angular, outlandish designs. Formerly home to Giorgetto Giugiaro, Italdesign is also known for the Zerouno supercar, as well as the BMW M1, first-gen Lancia Delta, Fiat Panda, and Alfa Romeo Brera.
While your chances of getting your hands on this Nissan-Italdesign collaboration are pretty slim, there are still a ton of amazing GT-R builds enthusiasts can tackle on their own or with shops with some aftermarket modifications found on eBay.