2019 New York Motorshow: 2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition Debuts

The 2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition makes its debut at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. The nameplate celebrates the half-century of the GT-R and will come in three trim levels in most markets: GT-R Premium, GT-R Track Edition and GT-R NISMO. The special edition car will come in three heritage-era, two-tone exterior colour combinations meant to represent the GT-R's liveries from the Japan GP series - of which the original GT-R was born to dominate in. Retired since the GT-R "R34" model, Bayside (Wangan) Blue makes a return, complete with white racing stripes. A four-coat, double-heat treatment process ensures a vivid blue with striking highlights and deep shadows. Blue accents on the wheel spokes are among several fine touches made to celebrate the Nissan GT-R's milestone. Pearl White with red stripes and Super Silver with white stripes round out the 50th Anniversary liveries.

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The GT-R 50th-anniversary features include a unique steering wheel and shift knob trim, special embossed seats, an Alcantara headliner with unique stitching and more.

Inside the 50th Anniversary Edition is a special grey interior colour scheme, which gives the cabin a sense of luxury, reminiscent of the atmosphere of the night sky after the twilight hour (the colour is also available on select other 2020 GT-R models). Additional 50th anniversary features include unique steering wheel and shift knob trim, special embossed seats, an Alcantara headliner with unique stitching, Alcantara wrapped sunvisors, and more.

"The Nissan GT-R has been the icon of our company's driving performance for the past half century," said Shinichiro Irie, program design director for the GT-R. "We were highly motivated to ensure that the GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition stands out. While the exterior and interior changes may seem subtle at first glance, they're still impactful, especially with the new paint schemes, keeping the car's lines and overall presence modern and edgy."

The adaptive shift control in the GT-R is programmed to change shift schedules to fit the user's driving style.

While many believed that the refinement and performance of the GT-R's 565-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 24-valve twin-turbocharged engine - each handcrafted by its own takumi technician - were so high that there was no room for improvement, the car's engineers had a few tricks up their sleeves. Among them was incorporating new turbochargers, which help increase the engine's low rpm response due to an abradable seal, providing tighter clearances and a 5% increase in efficiency. The GT-R features a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission with a refined "R mode," made for both road and track. It features more aggressive downshifts to better anticipate swift cornering exits, with gear selection happening during ABS engagement, resulting in reduced understeer and a more driver-intuitive feeling. The adaptive shift control is programmed to change shift schedules to fit the user's driving style, making it possible to drive according to the law on public roads, with full brute force available on the race track, without needing to manually change shift modes (in A mode/R mode).

The GT-R's signature exhaust note is the product of a new titanium muffler, featuring titanium finishers with burnished blue tips.

Inside, the centre dashboard integrates navigation and audio controls and an 8-inch capacitive touch-panel monitor. The large icons on the display screen inform the driving experience without distracting from it. Mounted to the sporty steering wheel are shift paddles that allow drivers to change gears in mid-turn without taking their hands off the wheel.

All 2020 Nissan GT-Rs come with the NissanConnect integrated audio, navigation and communication system in select markets. It allows users to remotely lock or unlock the doors, activate the alarm, summon emergency services or track the car's whereabouts using smartphone apps.