Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary 2020 Review

If there's no replacement for the R35 series of Nissan GT-R, before long we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the current car -- not just the nameplate!

Officially, the current GT-R has been on sale in Australia for a decade. My first drive was at Phillip Island in 2010. Since then I've driven the R35 in 2016, again in 2017 at Australia's Best Driver's Car in Tasmania and now, the 50th Anniversary model.

Despite its age, the Nissan GT-R remains relevant... sort of. During my daily run to work one morning I happened to glance around to see a family man driving his kids to school in an Audi A4 Avant wagon. He was waving furiously at me to lower the window. When I did, he asked me to rev up the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6. I happily obliged, and apparently made his (and his kids’) day.

So the Nissan GT-R still has some sort of power to enthral. It's almost supernatural really; finished in metallic blue ('Bayside Blue') with a broad white stripe running over the bonnet, roof and boot, the Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary looks more appealing now than when I first laid eyes on it all those years ago.

The only slight off-beat note is the 50th Anniversary script on the tail – in a font that looks out of place on a 400kW-plus super-sports car.

Yes, this commemorative edition has broken through the $200,000 barrier, but there's still nothing much around that can compare for straight-line squirt divided by weight, and that subtotal divided again by dollars spent. Or 'bang for buck' to use a clichéd phrase.

Unlike the car driven in 2016, the 50th Anniversary model GT-R is more refined. Most of the clanks, thumps and rattles are gone, although the car's six-speed dual-clutch transmission remains a byword for blunt-force trauma.

In other respects too, the GT-R is not far removed from the car tested at ABDC three years ago.

The GT-R is a two-door car that is actually easy to enter and leave (provided you're not climbing in the back). Indeed, although the front seats are heavily bolstered, it's not too challenging to exit the cabin, even if you're an older driver.

The door handles confounded me though. For a right-handed driver, opening the door is a matter of approaching from the rear of the car and using the thumb to pop open the handle before pulling with the rest of the hand to release. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but this sort of prescriptive method can be somewhat inconvenient.

The driving position is generally good, despite the lack of steering-wheel reach adjustment, but I found the accelerator pedal was too close for comfort and the footrest on the left was too far away.

While the cushioning of the (front) seats provides little 'give', discomfort won't set in on longer drives. The seats are supportive and snug, so you won't be flailing around mid-corner or under brakes.

Nissan designers have taken some of the hard edges off the GT-R's interior by applying a pleasant medium grey tone of leather upholstery to coordinate with the exterior colour of the 50th Anniversary model tested. Nissan names the upholstery colour 'Twilight Grey'.

As a consequence, the ambience is more hospitable and welcoming than the dark grey of the previous GT-R Premium tested.

Some of the minor switches (to scroll through trip computer functions, for instance) are practically out of reach for the driver while the car is in motion -- or alternatively, located where they're not easily found. A car like this – updated over the years instead of being left in aspic – could justify a head-up display for drivers who need to keep their eyes on the road.

Fuel consumption is up around 16L/100km in an urban setting, but on a measured test drive the Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary returned a figure as low as 12L/100km. I found the headlights shone brightly on low-beam and cast a white light over a wide and long range at night.

Noise suppression is sufficient for conversation without shouting at touring speeds.

The GT-R's engine is ticking over at 2100rpm for an indicated road speed of 100km/h. At that speed the V6 is audible, but not rowdy. The tyres contribute to noise inside the cabin at that speed too, and are louder still at lower speeds, on coarse-chip bitumen.

Although the GT-R 50th Annniversary's ride around town can be sharp and jarring if left in default mode, it's much more bearable in the comfort setting, now that the 2020 models come with a Bilstein 'Damptronic' system. It seems to be a marked improvement over the previous car's ride qualities. At higher speeds on country roads the Nissan feels very settled, providing good body control with little discomfort – even in the race-ready R setting.

The GT-R still tramlines, and its steering continues to go missing in action while you wait for proper feedback. On greasy surfaces (bitumen after a light drizzle, as an example), the Dunlop tyres are skittish without any heat in them. But roadholding is safe and secure once there's some heat in the sidewalls.

Braking is exceptional too – strong, with a firm pedal underfoot but providing enough initial feel for gentler braking too.

Launch control allows you to raise the engine revs to 4000rpm for a really fast start – but with a frag of a second's worth of delay before the transmission reacts to removal of the left foot from the brake pedal.

And in an aural context the twin-turbo powertrain delivers an odd amalgam of different sounds – including supercharger-like whining, conventional six-cylinder howling, vacuum-cleaner-style whooshing and the rattling of an old Blitzwagon during a cold start.

In other words, whether you like this car or not, you can't help but be intrigued by it – or at least I can't help it.

Put it another way… The Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary is a car you might like to have in the garage alongside your quiet, efficient electric SUV in future -- simply as a reminder of what internal-combustion technology could be like in the good old days.

Who knows... by the time EVs become affordable you might be able to buy a new R35 GT-R in runout.

How much does the 2020 Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary cost?
Price: $209,300 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.8-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 419kW/632Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 11.7L/100km; 12.0L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 278g/km
Safety Rating: TBA