The iconic R35 could have continued production, but stricter rules ended its run.
he Nissan GT-R, which has been in production since 2007, will be discontinued worldwide in 2025. Nissan had hoped to keep the R35 model in production for longer, but evolving regulations have forced its retirement. A successor is still a few years away.
The GT-R's 17-year run is nearing its conclusion, not because Nissan wanted to end it, but because new rules leave them with no choice. Europe saw the model phased out in 2021 due to updated noise restrictions, and Australia dropped it earlier after failing to meet stricter crash standards. Nissan’s global product chief, Pierre Loing, mentioned that the company would have kept it for another 17 years, if possible, but regulatory issues made that impossible.
Unlike typical model phaseouts, no immediate replacement is planned when production halts. The Hyper Force concept, introduced last year, hinted at an electric successor, but the next iteration of the GT-R may not arrive until the end of the decade. A recent design vision suggests an all-electric R36, which could return with advanced technologies like solid-state batteries.
Nissan’s VP of global product strategy, Ivan Espinosa, confirmed the development of a new sports car, but the rebirth of the Silvia, once rumored, has yet to be approved for production.
Several performance cars have been discontinued recently due to stricter regulations. The Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, and Porsche Boxster have all been pulled from the European market, and models like the Mazda MX-5 Miata have had to adjust to meet new standards. Laws are expected to continue tightening, which could limit or eliminate future performance car options.