The Nissan GT-R R35 has always been one of my dream cars, and finally getting the chance to drive it felt surreal. It’s a moment I’ve looked forward to for years, and the experience lived up to every expectation.
What makes this drive even more meaningful is knowing that the R35 has officially been discontinued in 2024, marking the end of an incredible 18-year production run. It stands as the true successor to the legendary R34, a car many of us grew up admiring through Initial D and Fast & Furious.
Also known as “Godzilla,” the R35 earned its reputation as the “supercar killer.” Not because of marketing hype, but because of its ability to compete with – and often outperform – far more expensive supercars, despite its size and price point.
From the moment the engine fires up, the car feels alive and ready. With 530bhp and 612Nm of torque waiting at your command, performance is always on tap. Yet, what impressed me most is how civilised it feels at low speeds. Below 2,000rpm and under 100km/h, the GT-R is surprisingly gentle and comfortable, making it genuinely usable as a daily car.
The suspension is on the firmer side, and you can clearly feel the road surface beneath you, but that is exactly what you would expect from a car built with performance as its priority.
The 0–100km/h sprint comes in at just 3.2 seconds, and even beyond that, the car continues to pull hard, always urging you to go faster.
Handling is where the GT-R truly shines. On straight roads, it feels stable and composed, but in the corners, it becomes something special. The car stays planted, and the connection between driver and machine is so strong that it feels like you and the car are one entity, moving with confidence and precision through every turn.
The R35 is not just a fast car. It is a legend, and finally experiencing it in motion was nothing short of unforgettable.