The Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign will make its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, England, on July 12.

The first-ever collaboration between Nissan and Italdesign, the GT-R50 prototype shown at Goodwood could become the blueprint for an extremely limited run of hand-built production vehicles. The vehicle commemorates the 50th anniversaries of both the GT-R, in 2019, and Italdesign, in 2018.

“The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the ideal setting to showcase the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign, which combines power and artistry to celebrate 50 years of inspiring the dreams of our customers,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design. “Just like the prototype itself, Goodwood is a celebration of design, performance, a little indulgence and a lot of love of historic and future automotive creativity. It’s the perfect setting to showcase a unique vehicle that will stir the imagination of people to dream even bigger.”

Pending the GT-R50 by Italdesign’s reception at Goodwood and other global appearances in the coming months, a customer version inspired by the prototype may be created. No more than 50 units would be produced by Italdesign – with each car tailored for each customer – with a price estimated to start at about €900,000 ($1,058,170).

Brute force

The Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign starts with Nissan’s latest GT-R Nismo and re-interprets it with a European-style sensibility – combining brute force with Italian craftsmanship and tailoring. With a special power plant that boasts up to 120PS over the stock engine, as well as chassis and driveline upgrades, performance backs up the new look.

Italdesign developed, engineered and built the car. The distinctive, crisp exterior and interior designs originated from Nissan Design Europe and Nissan Design America. Key design features include a pronounced power bulge on the hood, stretched LED headlights, a lowered roofline, and prominent “samurai blade” cooling outlets behind the front wheels. A large, adjustable rear wing, mounted with two uprights, completes the overall look. The exterior is finished in a Liquid Kinetic Gray color, with distinctive Energetic Sigma Gold anniversary accents.

Inside, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign reflects its modern, high-performance pedigree. Two different carbon fiber finishes are extensively used across the center console, instrument panel and door linings. The seats feature black Alcantara and fine black Italian leather. Gold accents echo the exterior treatment throughout the cockpit.

Underneath its new shape, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign is all business. Drawing on Nissan’s extensive GT3 racing experience, the Nismo organization enhanced the hand-assembled 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT engine to produce an estimated 720PS and 780 Nm of torque. A revised Bilstein suspension damping system and upgraded Brembo braking system help handle the extra power.

“At Italdesign, we have a long history of making our customers’ dreams come true. By joining forces now with our partners at Nissan, we brought a true GT-R fantasy to life,” said Joerg Astalosch, CEO of Italdesign-Giugiaro. “Together, we have the target that soon this ‘monster’ of a vehicle will change the lives of 50 very select enthusiasts. Their wait will soon be over.”