The wet Monday asphalt was still smoking when a silver shape glided into our lot.
If you know cars, you already know what it is.
A Nissan GT-R R35 in Ultimate Metal Silver, Premium Edition. Just arrived at Soukyo Motors this week — Japan’s last great supercar, one example, fresh on the books.
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What Is the R35? Eighteen Years of “Godzilla”
The R35 GT-R debuted in 2007 — nineteen years ago.
For most cars, that means museum status. The R35 disagrees. Nissan refined it every model year and kept it in production until August 26, 2025, when the very last unit — a Premium edition T-spec finished in Midnight Purple — rolled off the line at the Tochigi plant. Eighteen years and roughly 48,000 cars later, the R35 era closed. The example pictured here is a post-2017 facelift, with the V-motion grille, the larger 8-inch infotainment screen, and the redesigned interior. It is the mature, polished version of the platform.
Outside Japan it is called “Godzilla” and mentioned in the same breath as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8. Inside Japan it is treated as a niche enthusiast machine. That price-perception gap is exactly why Japanese-market R35s are a gold mine for collectors abroad. With production now closed, clean JDM examples are turning into a globally contested asset.
Ultimate Metal Silver — Not Just “Silver”
There is no such thing as “just silver” on this car.
Ultimate Metal Silver (paint code KAB) is one of Nissan’s hand-applied premium colors — a paid option costing several hundred thousand yen, applied by senior painters over multiple days in successive layers. In the wet, with the light shifting, the color travels from bright silver to deep gunmetal to almost white. No photograph captures it properly.
Come see it in person.
A Heart Built by Human Hands — The Takumi Program
Pop the bonnet and the red intake plenum is the first thing that catches your eye. VR38DETT — a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6, 570 to 600 horsepower depending on spec.
This engine followed a rule no other mass-produced car followed: every single unit was hand-assembled by one of a tiny number of certified master technicians, called Takumi (匠), working alone in a dedicated clean room. Each completed engine carried a small plaque engraved with the Takumi’s name. With the R35 line closed, no new Takumi-built VR38DETT will ever leave the factory again.
This car’s plaque reads:
Handbuilt by 匠 — Hiroyuki Ichikawa
This engine was personally built by one of the handful of master craftsmen at Nissan’s Yokohama plant who hold the Takumi certification. In the GT-R community, owners commonly know their Takumi by name. Buying a GT-R is closer to acquiring a craftsman’s signed work than purchasing a car.
Stop, Go, Turn — All World Class
- Drivetrain: ATTESA E-TS active electronic AWD. The system rebalances torque between front and rear axles in milliseconds the instant a wheel slips. The hallmark R35 sensation — being able to put the throttle down in the wet — comes from this.
- Brakes: Brembo monoblock calipers (6-piston front, orange-finished) clamping massive rotors. Engineered for the violence of a 500+ horsepower car.
- Wheels: Factory 20-inch RAYS forged alloys wrapped in Dunlop SP SPORT MAXX GT600 — a tire developed specifically for the GT-R.
- Aero: Factory rear wing, dedicated front, side, and rear diffusers. A drag coefficient of 0.26 combined with high-speed downforce.
- Exhaust: Quad titanium tailpipes, dual exits each side.
Interior — Cockpit, Not Cabin
Open the door and you are met with the dedicated black leather and Alcantara seats. An 8-inch touchscreen anchors the center console, with the R35’s signature column of vertical switches below it. The transmission is the 6-speed dual-clutch GR6 DCT, and the wheel carries the GT-R logo at center.
Alcantara wraps the shifter surround and center tunnel. The texture under your palm communicates instantly that this is not an ordinary car. The rear seats are a token 2+2 — adequate for children or short-distance passengers.
Why Japanese-Market Cars Are the Best in the World
There is a consensus in the GT-R community: for any given model year, the JDM example is the cleanest example. The reasons are practical:
- Japanese roads are clean, with virtually no winter road salt
- Garage storage is the cultural default
- Mandatory shaken inspection forces full mechanical service every two years
- And, frankly, Japanese owners barely drive their cars
The mileage, service history, and condition of this example are not comparable to U.S. or European cars that spent their lives being thrashed by their twentysomething owners. With new-car supply now permanently cut off in 2026, this is exactly why exporters in China, Australia, and Southeast Asia are accelerating their inquiries — “buy it while it is still in Japan” has become the practical last window.
Available for Inspection at Soukyo Motors
This R35 GT-R is currently displayed at Soukyo Motors in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture.
- In-person inspection: Open the bonnet, view the Takumi plaque, listen to a cold start, examine the cabin — all welcome
- Test drive: By appointment, normally restricted to serious buyers
- Service history: Fully disclosed
- Auto loan: Down payment and monthly payment simulations available on site
- Trade-in: Free appraisal of your current vehicle
- Export support: Documentation for export to China, Australia, ASEAN, and elsewhere
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Final Word — “While It’s Still in Japan”
The R35 GT-R is one of humanity’s last truly serious investments in the internal combustion engine. With production formally ended in August 2025, no new R35 will ever leave a Nissan factory again. CEO Ivan Espinosa has confirmed an R36 successor is coming, but Nissan has not yet decided whether it will be hybrid or fully electric, and several years of gap are expected before launch. The romance of “a V6 twin-turbo built by human hands” effectively ends with the R35.
The Takumi-built engine. The hand-applied paint. The condition advantage of a Japanese-market car. The intersection of all three becomes rarer every year.
If this car interests you, please reach out sooner rather than later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can you still buy a brand-new R35 GT-R?
A. No. The very last R35 rolled off the Tochigi line on August 26, 2025, formally ending production (eighteen years and approximately 48,000 units in total). All variants — including Nismo, Premium edition T-spec, and Track edition engineered by NISMO — are no longer available as new vehicles. The used market is now the only path to ownership.
Q. What exactly is a “Takumi”?
A. A small group of master engine assemblers certified by Nissan — only a handful of individuals at any given time during the production years. Each GT-R engine was hand-built by one Takumi alone in a dedicated clean room, and bears a plaque engraved with that Takumi’s name. With the close of R35 production, no new Takumi-built VR38DETT engines will be produced (servicing and overhauls of existing units continue separately).
Q. Is R35 maintenance unusually demanding?
A. Yes. Specialized ATF, transmission learning resets, dedicated four-wheel alignment equipment — only a limited number of shops are properly tooled. Soukyo Motors can advise on a long-term service plan after purchase.
Q. Are test drives available?
A. Generally restricted to serious buyers, accompanied by a staff member, by prior appointment.
Q. Is auto financing available?
A. Yes. We work with several financing partners and can run down-payment and monthly-payment simulations on the spot.
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