The Nissan GT-R has been axed in Europe
13 years since the GT-R’s introduction, Nissan is officially ending European production for the supercar
It’s been rumoured for years, but Nissan has officially announced that European production of its iconic GT-R supercar will come to an end later this month. More stringent noise regulations are cited as the reason for its cancellation, with crash and emissions rules already making it unavailable in other markets around the globe.
In an official statement, Nissan said: '13 years after its European introduction as the icon of accessible automotive high performance, we can confirm that European GT-R production will end in March, 2022 due to the new EU & UK drive by noise regulations starting 1st of July 2021 (No. 540.2014).'
> Government ‘noise camera’ trial aims to catch drivers with loud exhausts
Following the UK government’s introduction of ‘noise cameras’ in select cities in 2019, regulations on noise pollution have become tighter than ever, increasing the cost of road homologation. The move follows the launch of Nissan’s all-new Z car, a model that won’t be hitting UK roads for similar reasons.
Though its age had begun to show in recent years, the Nissan GT-R remains a force to be reckoned with even 13 years after its introduction. In Nismo form it’s still a staggeringly capable performance machine, and despite its early stereotype, it’s more analogue in nature than many of its modern rivals.
Nevertheless, the GT-R’s time has finally come, but with electrification on the horizon, might Nissan’s boffins already be developing an all-electric successor?
