R35 Nissan GT-R: The Complete Guide
A hand-built V6, a gearbox at the back axle, all-wheel drive that thinks faster than you do, and a launch that rearranges your internal organs. The R35 is the most technologically aggressive car Japan has ever sold.
The specification
| Chassis code | R35 |
|---|---|
| Launched | 2007 (Tokyo Motor Show debut, Japanese sales December 2007) |
| Engine | 3,799 cc VR38DETT — twin-turbocharged DOHC 24-valve V6 |
| Power | 480 PS at launch, rising through 530, 550 and 570 PS; Nismo beyond 600 PS |
| Gearbox | GR6 six-speed dual-clutch, mounted at the rear axle |
| Layout | Premier Midship — front engine, rear transaxle, all-wheel drive |
| Drivetrain | ATTESA E-TS with independent rear transaxle |
| 0–100 km/h | Under 3 seconds in later specification |
| Assembly | Engines hand-built by a single takumi craftsman in a clean room |
What makes the R35 different
Almost every performance car puts the gearbox behind the engine. The R35 does not. Nissan's Premier Midship layout places the engine at the front and the six-speed dual-clutch transmission at the rear axle, connected by a carbon-composite propeller shaft, with a second shaft running forward from the rear-mounted transfer case to drive the front wheels. It is an unusual and expensive way to build a car, and it exists to put mass low and rearward for balance while keeping all-wheel-drive traction. Nothing else on the market does it this way.
The VR38DETT is assembled by hand in a dust-controlled clean room at Nissan's Yokohama plant by one of a very small group of master engine builders known as takumi. Each engine is completed by a single person, who signs a plaque that is fixed to the cam cover. The cylinder bores use a plasma-transferred wire arc coating instead of conventional iron liners, which cuts weight and improves heat transfer. This is supercar-manufacturer practice applied to a car that, at launch, cost a fraction of a supercar.
The Nürburgring problem
In 2008 Nissan claimed a Nordschleife lap of 7 minutes 38 seconds for the standard R35. The number was met with open disbelief in Europe, because it put a Japanese coupe costing under €80,000 on the same page as Porsche's fastest cars. Nissan kept going, and later official and manufacturer-run laps dropped into the 7:20s. The R35 changed the reference frame for what a mass-produced performance car was allowed to cost, and the industry has never entirely forgiven it.
The launch
The R35's launch control is the single most-quoted thing about the car and the reason it converts non-enthusiasts on the spot. With the systems set correctly, the dual-clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive combine to deliver acceleration that feels less like speed and more like being pulled by something enormous. Later cars reach 100 km/h in under three seconds. From the passenger seat it is genuinely disorienting the first time — most guests laugh involuntarily, which is our favourite part of the job.
How the R35 evolved
Nissan never replaced the R35; it revised it continuously for the better part of two decades, which is almost unheard of. Power crept from 480 to 570 PS. The 2017 facelift brought a substantially better interior, a new V-motion grille and a quieter cabin. Track-focused versions arrived — the Track Edition, the Nismo with GT3-derived turbochargers and carbon bodywork, and a series of limited final editions as the car's long life wound down. A well-sorted R35 today is a far more polished machine than a 2008 car, without losing the violence.
R35 vs R34 — which should you ride?
| R34 Skyline GT-R | R35 Nissan GT-R | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Mechanical, analogue, involving | Digital, brutal, effortless |
| Engine | 2.6L inline-six, individual throttle bodies | 3.8L V6, hand-built, twin-turbo |
| Sound | Induction and turbo noise, 1990s texture | Deep V6 with a hard exhaust note |
| Speed | Fast for its era, transformed by tuning | Faster than almost anything on the road |
| Best for | History, nostalgia, the film car | Pure sensation, first-timers, the launch |
Most guests who can only do one arrive certain they want the R34 and leave saying the R35 was the surprise. The honest answer is that they are different pleasures. Our Premium Plan at ¥36,000 per person draws at random from both, so either way it is a genuine GT-R.
Riding an R35 in Tokyo
GTR MAFIA TOKYO runs an R35 Nissan GT-R as part of a GT-R and Skyline only fleet. Three hours from Shibuya, out onto the Bayshore Route where the R35 makes the most sense, roughly an hour at Daikoku PA, then Tokyo Tower and back. Included in the Premium Plan at ¥36,000 per person and in the Random Plan pool at ¥26,000. No licence required — you ride, we drive.
Frequently asked questions
What engine is in the R35 Nissan GT-R?
A 3,799 cc VR38DETT twin-turbocharged V6, hand-assembled by a single takumi master craftsman in a clean room at Nissan's Yokohama plant. Output ranged from 480 PS at launch in 2007 to over 570 PS in later cars, and beyond 600 PS in Nismo form.
Why is the R35 GT-R gearbox at the back?
Nissan's Premier Midship layout mounts the six-speed dual-clutch transmission at the rear axle rather than behind the engine, to move mass rearward and improve weight distribution while retaining all-wheel drive. A second driveshaft runs forward from the rear-mounted transfer case to power the front wheels.
How fast is the R35 GT-R 0-60?
Later specification R35s reach 100 km/h from rest in under three seconds using launch control. At its 2007 debut the R35 was already quicker to 100 km/h than most supercars costing three times as much.
Is the R35 GT-R a Skyline?
No. The R35 is not a Skyline. It uses a bespoke Premier Midship platform and a V6 engine and shares nothing structural with the Nissan Skyline. Nissan dropped the Skyline name for the R35 in 2007.
Can I ride in an R35 GT-R in Tokyo?
Yes. GTR MAFIA TOKYO includes an R35 Nissan GT-R in its Premium Plan at 36,000 yen per person, on a three-hour night tour from Shibuya via Daikoku PA and Tokyo Tower. No driving licence is required because guests ride as passengers.