The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
New owners to take keys of dream GT-Rs
Made famous by The Fast and the Furious franchise, the Nissan GT-R has secured its place in movie car history.
For a handful of lucky new owners they’re about to get the keys to one of these superb cars, courtesy of Specialist Cars Nissan, Aberdeen.
And just in time, too, as Nissan has now officially closed all orders for the 2022 GT-R R35, indicating that these fantastic beasts will be the last of their kind to roll off the production line.
Part of the John Clark group, the dealers will be delivering 10 of the highpowered, six-figure sum vehicles to the owners this week, with the first model leaving the showroom today.
With its sporty styling, 3.8 litre V6 engine and astonishing acceleration of 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds, the Nissan GT-R sets hearts alight, and its appeal has lasted since its launch in Japan in 2009.
It arguably set the performance benchmark for its price point, coming in substantially lower than comparable models such as the Porsche 911 Turbo.
For the new owners, it has been a long wait – almost two years – as the car industry fought against supply issues caused by the semi-conductor chip shortage.
But coming in at just shy of £200,000, the customers were determined to receive their dream machines.
A LONG WAIT
With help from divisional sales manager David Barnes and sales controller Diogo Rodrigues, the GT-R R35 cars have finally arrived in Aberdeen, with another three Track editions arriving next week.
Diogo has been working with the customers for the last 18 anxious months and knows they’re relieved to finally take ownership of the long-awaited vehicles.
He said: “It’s been a long year-and-a-half. A lot of phone calls, a lot of emails, and lots of hard work and we’re glad to see it all come to fruition. It’s not been the easiest of times, that’s for sure.
“There was a lot of back and forth as to whether this was going to happen at all. There was Covid and the pandemic, and they (Nissan) stopped producing the cars.
“We worked with Nissan to secure the final production of these cars. Nissan’s future is electrification with the fully electric ARIYA making an appearance later this year.
“Hopefully we will see an electric performance car to rival the GT-R making an appearance in coming years but there is nothing confirmed from Nissan as of yet.”
UNIQUE CUSTOMERS
The GT-Rs have become rare with only 30 Nismos currently on UK roads and 28 Track editions.
The branch, which has a UK-wide reputation for its specialist service (gaining the title of top-selling GTR dealership of 2020) is now about to add another seven Track editions to that tally.
Building relations through GT-R forums and Facebook, the dealership welcomes its customers from as far south as London.
And at an eye-watering price of £185,000 for the Nismo and £90,000 for the
Recaro, customers know exactly what they want and are happy to travel the length of the UK to collect their vehicles.
“GT-R buyers are a very unique customer,” says Diogo. “The heritage of the car attracts a certain person. They are very specific about what they want and know that we are the GT-R specialists.”
Although we’re unlikley to see any of the stunning GT-Rs on local roads, the sales room staff have had the privilege of taking GT-Rs for a spin – and they know the value of what’s leaving the showroom.
“I’ve had the pleasure of putting a GT-R through its paces a couple of times,” says Diogo. “It’s completely mind blowing in a straight line, and – when you’re brave enough – its handling is extremely good.”
And having spent a few weeks with the GT-Rs, the showroom staff have become quite attached to them.
“It’s going to be very sad to see these cars go,” says Diogo.
The Nismo and Track editions can be seen at Specialist Cars Nissan, Wellington Road, Altens.