Nissan and Italdesign have come together for the first time for the creation of a new prototype vehicle, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign. Marking the 50th anniversary of both, the GT-R and Italdesign, the GT-R50 is based on 2018 GT-R Nismo and will make its debut in Europe next month. It was designed, engineered and built by Italdesign. The exterior and interior designs were created by the teams at Nissan Design Europe in London and Nissan Design America.
The Nissan GT-R50’s design has been completely reimagined with new lines and crease, but even so, the authentic GT-R appeal has been preserved very well. The most distinguishing aspect of the GT-R50 is the new paint job of grey and contrasting gold.
The bonnet on the Nissan GT-R50 is more muscular, compared to a standard GT-R, and thin LED headlamps stretch from the wheel arch to the cooling intakes. The roofline has been lowered by 54 mm and has a lower centre section. The signature GT-R “samurai blade” cooling outlets behind the front wheels have been highlighted with a gold inlay and extends from the bottom of the doors to the shoulder line.
It gets custom wheels – 21 x 10 inches in front and 21 x 10.5 inches at the rear – which adds to the car’s bold stance. At the rear, the GT-R’s twin round taillights have been reimagined as a separate “floating” feature with thin light rings and hollow centres.
Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign draws power from an enhanced version of the hand-assembled 3.8-litre V6 VR38DETT engine that produces an estimated 710 hp and 780 Nm of torque.
Changes to the power plant include optimised GT3 competition-spec turbochargers and larger intercoolers; heavy-duty crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and bearings; high-flow piston oil jets; revised camshaft profiles; higher-flow fuel injectors; and optimized ignition, intake and exhaust systems.
On the inside, Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign features two different carbon fibre finishes used extensively across the centre console, instrument panel and door linings, along with black Alcantara® and fine black Italian leather on the seats. It also gets gold accents across the instrument panel, doors and the futuristic race car-inspired switchgear. The bespoke steering wheel’s central hub and spokes are made of carbon fibre, while the rim features a flat bottom and matching Alcantara trim.
