Back when Nissan and Italdesign pulled the covers off the GT-R50, it looked like the kind of conceptual design exercise destined to spend its entire existence bolted to a motor show turntable. Somehow, the project actually limped into production, and one of the exceedingly rare examples that made it out of the factory doors is now up for sale in Germany.
The GT-R50 was originally conceived in 2018 as a limited-run special to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of both the iconic GT-R nameplate and the Italdesign styling house. The initial factory blueprint called for a production run of exactly 50 units globally. However, reality intervened. A brutal combination of pandemic-era supply chain disruptions and an eye-watering $1 million (USD) asking price meant Nissan struggled to find enough buyers. By the time the plug was prematurely pulled on the project, only 19 cars had reportedly been completed.
That lack of sales success isn’t exactly shocking when you consider the donor vehicle. At the time, the standard R35 GT-R Nismo was already delivering supercar-baiting performance for less than a quarter of the GT-R50’s asking price, while the brilliant base-model GT-R was commanding just $115,000.
To be fair to the engineers, the production GT-R50 was significantly more than a bespoke bodykit and a commemorative dashboard plaque. While it utilised the foundational chassis and basic body structure of the GT-R Nismo, the exterior styling was completely overhauled. The roofline was dropped, the overall proportions were heavily reworked, and almost every single exterior panel was redesigned. This specific example features an exquisite Liquid Silver Metallic finish and the optional hydraulic rear wing.
The mechanical upgrades were equally heavy-handed. Nismo engineers took the familiar 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 and wound it up to produce 530kW (710hp), thanks largely to a pair of GT3-derived turbochargers and a much larger intercooler. To prevent the driveline from turning into confetti, the package also included reinforced transmission components, bespoke Bilstein suspension hardware, and 21-inch carbon-fibre wheels.
This particular left-hand drive example (build number 11) is currently listed by RM Sotheby’s. As far as collector-grade vehicles go, this unit is essentially a time capsule. It has covered a mere 192km (119 miles) since it rolled off the assembly line and presents in factory-fresh condition.
How much? It is currently listed at €950,000-1,150,000 (about AU1.55-1.89 million). That is an obscene amount of money for any modern Nissan product, but in the upper echelons of the collector car market, rarity often overrides logic.
