We can count on Larry Chen’s YouTube channel to bring some of the most interesting pieces of automotive culture to our attention, and this slick new installment features a familiar piece of design. Yet even seasoned enthusiasts may do a double take at the images above and below – for this is no Nissan GT-R.

Under the skin, there may be parts of a 2018 Nissan GT-R Nismo but most of this grand-touring performance car is bespoke and extremely impressive. Many will likely not know what this is, and even less will have driven one. We briefly check out the video to see what Italdesign’s GT-R50 is all about and have a sneak peek at the other concepts in this Italian wonderland of automotive curios.

One Of Italdesign’s Weirder Designs

The 1986 Italdesign Machimoto Was The ‘Daft Punk’ Of Cars

This concept was never intended for production and was just a showcase of how practicality can be infused without compromising on the Sci-Fi appeal.

The Italdesign GTR-50 Is A Real Production Car

Despite looking like a concept car, this is a serious, functional production car. The catch is that 21 got made (out of a planned 50), and they go for big sums of cash – like seven-figure sums. You get a lot for your money. Larry Chen meets up with Andrea Porta of Italdesign to see behind the curtain at the design and engineering company.

Italdesign is a name we should be familiar with, along with the Giugiaro name. Many production cars from brands including Alfa Romeo and Maserati were designed either in part or comprehensively by the Italian design house, up to and including the original Volkswagen Golf. More on that later. Andrea shows Chen around the facility and focuses on the GT-R50, one of the brand’s most impressive and high-scale projects to date.

Introduction Takeaways And Highlights

• Italdesign is an Italian design and engineering company responsible for many past production cars from Hyundai to Maserati
• The GTR-50 project was an ambitious joint venture between Nissan and Italdesign that celebrates 50 years of both the GT-R model line and Italdesign itself
• 50 units were planned for the GT-R50 but due to the pandemic, the project ultimately finished with a 20-unit production run and one test car (also featured in the video)

More Italdesign Masterpieces

Italdesign’s BMW Nazca M12, C2 Were Ahead Of Their Time

The Nazca M12 and C2 concepts were both the result of an agreement between BMW and Italdesign Giugiaro.

The Italdesign GTR-50 Is A Concept Car For The Road

The GT-R50 is now around 6 years old. Andrea says that the company’s strength is in its ability to bring a design brief like this to life as a feasible production car, not just as a concept. To that end, Italdesign chose to use a 2018 Nissan GT-R Nismo chassis, to aid in homologation and reduce the need for extensive testing.

It also reduces the possibility of missing parts and speeds up manufacturing time. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no re-skinned GT-R. Porta tells Chen that the structure under the panels is also new, the roof is 2″ lower, the track is wider, the interior is a custom affair, and the powertrain is also different.

While a normal GT-R might take one day to produce on Nissan’s efficient production line, this car takes more than 6 months to complete, according to Porta. A handmade performance car with styling and luxurious features like the GT-R50 also carries a serious price tag – but the car found buyers who fell under its awesome spell.

The video shows off the incredible exterior styling and interior, the latter of which comes with Alcantara and leather in a unique new design. Below we can see the specs for the modified GT-R powertrain, which makes comfortably more power than it does in the 2024 GT-R Nismo.

Italdesign GT-R50 Part Specifications

Data courtesy of Italdesign

Highlights Of The Italdesign GTR-50

• Designed by Nissan Europe and America, but engineered and built by Italdesign to celebrate 50 years of the GT-R (and Italdesign)
• Features many powertrain, drivetrain, and chassis modifications that ensure it will drive differently from a standard GT-R
• Altered track, roofline, and other aspects of the car mean it shares little with the GT-R aside from the lower structure

Other Italdesign Models In The Video

Watch the video for a close-up look at some of the other amazing concept cars in the Italdesign facility – as well as Andrea’s enthusiasm and extensive knowledge. The first image is the development car for the GT-R50 project, which helped to hone the design and homologate the performance car for the road.

Another ambitious Italdesign project is the Zerouno, the supercar designed to showcase the brand’s ability to pool its styling, engineering, and production expertise into a capable and desirable performance car. Based on an Audi R8 platform, it had a price tag of $1.5 million and just like the GT-R50, had no problem finding buyers. Other cars include the 5-door Volkswagen Golf GTI, which is one of a handful in existence, says Porta.

The first-gen Golf carried the ‘Giugiaro’ name, and this one also impressed Chen. A very quirky Ford Mustang with scissor doors and a similar face to the current 2024 Mustang is another highlight. One of the most impressive cars is the Italdesign Parcour – a 2013 concept to celebrate 45 years of Italdesign Giugiaro.

It is a modified, crossover-style supercar based on the Lamborghini Gallardo and the closest thing to a Sterrato that existed before the real thing. Chen and Porta discuss how the Parcour is so ahead of its time and poignant today; a real Lamborghini Sterrato in spirit and execution, a decade before it would appear in the light of day.

Highlights From The Museum Tour At Italdesign

• A great collection of concepts and production cars shows off the design house’s talent for re-bodying existing cars or producing all-new designs
• The pasta is an interesting feature in the compound – it follows the design of a car door component and was engineered with precision to collect the optimum quantity of pasta sauce
• Italdesign’s Mustang is an eccentric take on the popular muscle car with quirky new features, plus a face that shares some commonalities with the current model (namely the hood line and headlamps)

One Of Giugiaro’s Greatest Hits

This Is The Most Beautiful Car Giorgetto Giugiaro Ever Designed

The founder of Italdesign was responsible for the most beautiful Ferrari of all time. 

The 2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo Is Still An Impressive Machine

Despite being well into its twilight years, the long-running R35 GT-R is still a desirable and capable machine. It’s still largely the same VR38DETT under the hood that it had in 2008, albeit with up to 600 hp in the latest Nismo version. Nissan unveiled the refreshed 2024 GT-R last year, which looked very similar to the 2023 model with some minor cosmetic changes. A new ‘T-Spec’ trim was added to the lineup which included some new luxury features such as upgraded seats and interior trims.

Despite being an expensive car to buy, it is still attainable in the real world, whereas the GT-R50 is mostly reserved for the well-heeled. In the U.S., the 2024 GT-R starts from around $120,000, rising to more than $220,000 for the Nismo model.

Whether or not the Nismo is worth $100,000 will come down to the individual, and we could say the same for the GT-R50. One thing is for sure. Italdesign went the extra mile with the GT-R50 since it is more than a re-bodied R35; it is an R35 in its ultimate form.

2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo Part Specifications

Figures courtesy of Nissan

Highlights From The Section Above

• The 2024 GT-R could be the last year for the model and there are no official plans for an R36 GT-R
• Nissan’s Nismo model costs an astonishing $100,000 more than the base-level car; the ‘T-Spec’ model costs $20,000 more
• Italdesign’s GT-R50 is an impressive and beautiful production car with a build quality and design pedigree on par with many exotic and premium grand tourers

Sources: Larry Chen, Nissan, Classic.com, Italdesign