Nissan shuts down GT-R R35 orders, Japanese supercar declines in the era of electric vehicles

【PCauto】On March 2, 2025, Nissan announced the closure of order applications for the GT-R. The GT-R R35, which has been on the market since 2007, has spanned 18 years, and now, with the end of its order-taking, it marks the conclusion of an era, leaving enthusiasts of Japanese performance cars with a sense of nostalgia. An era has indeed come to an end.

As of now, the global cumulative sales of the GT-R R35 have exceeded 40,000 units. Although this number may not seem significant compared to ordinary family cars, it is quite an achievement for a high-performance sports car. These 40,000-plus units bear witness to the GT-R's global influence.

The GT-R has a glorious history in Southeast Asia. In the early days, as Japanese performance cars gained popularity worldwide, the GT-R quickly amassed a large fan base in Southeast Asia thanks to its outstanding performance. In countries like Malaysia and Thailand, the GT-R frequently appeared in street races. Its powerful engine output and excellent handling allowed it to leave competitors far behind in drag races, thanks to its high-horsepower engine and efficient all-wheel-drive system.

In the Southeast Asian car modification market, the GT-R is a particularly popular model. Local modification enthusiasts are keen on unlocking the GT-R's potential, with various modification schemes ranging from replacing high-performance turbochargers and upgrading brake systems to modifying suspensions to enhance handling. In Indonesia, some modification shops have deeply reinforced the GT-R's engine, significantly increasing its power to create unique horsepower machines. These modifications not only enhance vehicle performance but also further promote the cultural dissemination of the GT-R in Southeast Asia, making it an important part of car culture.

However, the cessation of GT-R orders now has complex reasons behind it. From Nissan's perspective, the company is facing a business crisis. In such circumstances, developing and producing a sports car like the GT-R requires substantial investment but fails to bring considerable profits, forcing Nissan to make the decision to halt production.

At the market level, the global automotive market is undergoing profound changes. The rapid rise of pure electric vehicles has ushered in an era of "performance equality." The acceleration performance that fuel-powered sports cars once prided themselves on is no longer an advantage in the face of electric models. For example, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, with its powerful performance, further compresses the market space for traditional fuel-powered performance cars.

In the Chinese market, Nissan issued a poster the day before the GT-R R35 announced its discontinuation (March 1), congratulating the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra on its launch under the guise of the GT-R (R50). The image on the poster, though seemingly friendly, also conveyed a sense of the GT-R's decline. Once a track king and a symbol of speed, the GT-R now watches as new electric vehicles take the stage, while it edges towards the brink of discontinuation. Such a scene inevitably evokes a sense of melancholy among car enthusiasts.

In Southeast Asia, although there is still some nostalgia for fuel-powered performance cars within the car culture, consumer choices are changing as environmental policies tighten and electric vehicle infrastructure gradually improves. The younger generation of consumers is more inclined to choose energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and tech-savvy electric vehicles, with their enthusiasm for fuel-powered performance cars gradually waning.

The discontinuation of the GT-R reflects, to some extent, the decline of the Japanese performance car market. During the Japanese bubble economy of the 1980s, Japanese performance cars flourished, cultivating a large group of car enthusiasts and driving related industries such as racing and car modification. However, after the bubble economy burst, the number of car enthusiasts decreased, and the target audience for performance cars gradually narrowed to those original enthusiasts. Today, the consumer group willing to pay for performance cars has shrunk, making it difficult to sustain the prosperity of the entire market.

Nevertheless, the future of Japanese performance cars is not entirely bleak. Although the GT-R is temporarily bowing out, Nissan has hinted that the next-generation model might be launched before 2030. The future GT-R may follow the trend of electrification, adopting hybrid or pure electric drive to maintain its performance advantages while meeting the demands of environmental protection and technological advancement. Other Japanese performance car brands are also exploring transformation paths. For example, the Toyota GR series is introducing new technologies and optimizing designs to adapt to market changes while retaining the performance gene.