Carmaker 'on brink of collapse' confirms it is axing popular vehicle after 18 years
Nissan has confirmed it will no longer manufacture one of its popular after nearly two decades of production.
The car manufacturer is no longer taking orders for its R35 GT-R in Japan, it has confirmed on its website. The R35 supercar was first launched into the 18 years ago in 2007 and had been nicknamed Godzilla, but it was retired in Europe in 2022 and the US in 2024.
A statement on the website reads: "We have received many orders for the Nissan GT-R and have now finished accepting orders for the planned production quantity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our customers for their support since its release in 2007."
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It’s unclear when production will end, but remaining stock is now sold out in Japan. In an obituary of sorts by , the cars website described the R35 as follows: "Over its tenure, the 3.8-litre twin-turbo ‘VR38’ six-cylinder went from 474bhp to over 600 in the later Nismo models. The R35 also went on to win big in motorsport, snatching titles in the GT1, Super GT and GT3 series."
It comes after reports back in December suggested Nissan had “12 or 14 months” before it could collapse. The car manufacturer is said to be looking for new investment to help it survive long-term, with reports suggesting Renault is considering reducing its financial stake in Nissan. Renault rescued the Japanese group from near-bankruptcy back in 1999.
It had also been suggested that rival Honda could buy a stake in the carmaker, but more recent reports now say the two sides have called off their merger plans, which could have seen them form a joint holding company. Nissan last year confirmed it will axe 9,000 jobs around the , in a move that will cut its global production by a fifth.
It comes as part of wider plans to cut costs by $2.6billion (£2billion) in the current financial year. Nissan employs around 6,000 at its manufacturing plant in Sunderland. The company also cut its operating profit forecasts for the second time this year, this time by 70%, or around £754million.
Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said at the time of announcing the job cuts: “These turnaround measures do not imply that the company is shrinking. Nissan will restructure its business to become leaner and more resilient, while also reorganizing management to respond quickly and flexibly to changes in the business environment.
“We aim to enhance the competitiveness of our products, which are fundamental to our success, and set Nissan back on a path of growth. As a cohesive team, we are dedicated to working together to ensure the successful implementation of our plans.”
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