Next-gen Nissan GT-R to be previewed by a concept
And, no, the Italdesign GT-R50 is not it.
Nissan plans to keep car enthusiasts excited by showing off a concept of the next-generation GT-R before the car is fully revealed. That's what Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's senior vice president of global design, told Indian Autos Blog, noting that the GT-R is one of Nissan's most important halo cars.
"Cars like [the] GT-R, [370] Z and [Infiniti] Q60 , these are icons. These show what you can do," Albaisa told Indian Autos Blog.
This Italdesign creation, dubbed the GT-R50, is not a concept for the next-generation car.
He also reiterated that the GT-R50, a styling exercise created with Italdesign, is not a hint at the look of the next GT-R. Rather, it pays tribute to the existing car and its 50-year heritage. "The GT-R50 is not the next GT-R," Albaisa told Indian Autos Blog. "It's a celebration about the people behind GT-R. They are really not concept cars , they are collector cars."
In fact, when Nissan introduced the GT-R50, Albaisa made that clear in a press release, saying, "Although this is not the next-generation GT-R, it is an exciting celebration of two anniversaries in a provocative and creative way."
While the Italdesign-penned machine was intended as a styling exercise only, Nissan has hinted the GT-R50 "may be created," albeit in extremely small numbers for a very high price -- specifically, about 50 cars for the equivalent of $1.05 million apiece.
We're still waiting to hear more about what a next-generation Nissan GT-R might look like, or even when this promised concept version would debut. However, Albaisa let slip a few hints at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, telling Autocar that the new GT-R would be "the fastest super sports car in the world."
However, "We will do our jobs when the time comes to make the car something really special. But we're not even close to that yet," he continued. "We are definitely making a new 'platform' and our goal is clear: GT-R has to be the quickest car of its kind. It has to 'own' the track."
