GT-R NISMO

Make
Nissan
Segment
Coupe

The Nissan GT-R. If you've ever seen a movie from a certain street-racing franchise, or if you've heard of a video game called Gran Turismo, you likely know exactly what this car is capable of, even if you're not that big into cars. The GT-R is an absolute legend, and the GT-R 50 by ItalDesign is a celebration of its heritage and that of the Italian styling house. Well now that the special model is finally here, we've been treated to a video of the monstrous machine lapping the Tazio Nuvolari circuit in Italy, the same place where it was officially unveiled.

In case you don't already know, the GT-R 50 by ItalDesign is even more powerful than the mighty GT-R Nismo. Thanks to GT3-spec turbochargers, bigger fuel injectors, better cooling, and other little details, the special edition produces a whopping 710 horsepower and 757 lb-ft of torque. To handle the extra grunt, the gearbox and the driveshafts and differentials connected to it have had to be upgraded. Brembo brakes take care of stopping while a new Bilstein DampTronic I damping system keeps the car stable over all surfaces. What impact have these changes made on the GT-R? Well, there's no posted lap time, sadly, but we have no doubt that the GT-R 50 is a remarkable thing to control on the track.

While the future of the GT-R is uncertain, it seems that this unique model, of which there will only be 50 units produced, may be the perfect send-off. If, however, Nissan takes what it's learned during this car's extraordinary tenure and makes one more gas-powered supercar, Porsche 911 owners will once again be quaking in their boots. That said, with the kind of power this particular special edition makes, perhaps the likes of the McLaren 720S will have reason to look over their shoulders too. Whatever happens next, we're glad the GT-R came about and we're glad it's still so hallowed.