Farewell to a Legend: Celebrating the R35 GT-R legacy1:44

As production of the Nissan R35 GT-R draws to a close this month, and the very last unit rolls down the production line at the Tochigi plant, we spent a moment with a man who has helped passionately steer the iconic model's success since its earliest concept phase.

If you are even vaguely familiar with the R35 GT-R, Nissan Z, or Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) car culture, his face will likely be instantly recognizable. Hiroshi Tamura is synonymous with Nissan's modern sports vehicle range – and is often affectionately referred to by some fans as the "Godfather of GT-R" or "father of GT-R".

A ‘car guy' right down to DNA, he's rarely seen in anything other than his signature gray suit paired with a vibrant tie and one of his 15-plus pairs of GT-R or Z-themed sneakers.

Tamura joined Nissan in 1984 and proudly exclaims, "Nissan was the only door I ever knocked on" referencing his all-consuming passion for the brand.

In part, he attributes this passion to moments spent in the crowd at Fuji Speedway, watching Hakosuka Skyline GT-Rs tear around the older circuit, which still featured the 30-degree bank layout. He vividly recalls the visceral thrill of the roaring twin-cam engines—an experience etched into his memory. In the 1970s, he was also exposed to vehicles like the 240ZG, particularly the iconic ‘G Nose' model, which he purchased, tuning the L-series inline six engine to 3.1-liters (L28 Kai), adding triple Mikuni carburetors, and enjoying as his daily driver.

Experiences like these fueled Tamura's lifelong love for Nissan cars and deep-seated drive to help steer the creation of future performance cars.

In his early years at the company, he spent time at Autech Japan, planned the mid-nineties Nissan Maxima / Cefiro and worked for Nissan Prince Kanagawa. In those early days of his career, Tamura recalls he was "petitioning to be involved with the GT-R and Z, to work on future sports cars" noting he was "eager to channel his passion into true drivers' cars".

There aren't many questions that media and fans haven't already posed to Tamura since he first became officially involved with the GT-R nameplate back in 1997. So, unpacking ‘lesser known' or ‘untold stories' of the R35 after 18 years in production, is a near impossible task.

As such, we asked him to share a few of his personal memories, adding a little more color to his journey alongside the R35 as it evolved from a concept on paper to the last unit completing ‘Line off' at the plant.

The early conceptual days

Tamura recalls that during the earliest days of planning the concept and vision for the R35 around 2001, he led the push to not use either a straight-six engine or apply a manual transmission.

Despite a deep respect for the RB26DETT and a personal passion for shifting gears, he was confident that a shorter engine, paired with a more mid-ship type layout, would better enhance inertia—such as a V6 paired with an advanced automatic transmission, which he believed would be suitable for the high-performance R35 GT-R.

I knew "Just two pedals were the key and had seen an engineering paper, in the early 2000's that promoted a new dual-clutch transmission."

Asked if there was internal resistance to his ideas Tamura confirms "Some people thought I was crazy, pushing for only two pedals. But I was convinced—by around 2003, as exotic supercars from Italy with automatic transmissions gained popularity and owners reported their satisfaction, more people started to share my conviction."

Purposeful duality

For Tamura, the R35 GT-R was always meant to embody dual personalities: The 'GT' delivering a comfortable, exciting drive regardless of conditions, and the 'R' emphasizing exhilarating high performance. "This duality was fully realized with the launch of the first GT-R NISMO in 2013, which brought motorsport-level performance and exceptional handling honed on the track to the road," said Tamura.

T-Spec was almost called "TM-Spec"

While the "T-Spec" badge is now well known amongst R35 enthusiasts and positioned as "Takumi spec" in select markets, Tamura confirms the grade was initially to be called ‘TM-Spec' – representing "Trend maker" and "Traction Master". During the rounds of internal alignment- and reviews, the final grade name was shortened to ‘T-Spec'.

An R35 inevitably found its way into Tamura's garage

Tamura's personal Gun Grey metallic R32 GT-R skyline can often be spotted around Tokyo, Yokohama and Atsugi in Kanagawa where Nissan's Technical Center is located. A faded ‘Mid Night Club' decal on the front bumper and set of R34 GT-R wheels, the main identifiers for eagle-eyed fans.

Tamura shares something that will surprise very few fans – he's recently added an R35 to his garage, confirming "I could buy a model year 25 R35 T-Spec GT-R in Millenium Jade with black interior".

Color preferences

Tamura says, "My favorite two colors for the R35 have long been Wangan Blue (Bayside Blue) and Millennium Jade".

He traces his passion for these colors back to earlier generations of the Skyline, as well as his days planning the R34 GT-R, where he pushed to include both blue and green hues in the color palette.

For Tamura, blue has a strong historic link to the GT-R badge that extends well beyond his personal involvement with the GT-R nameplate. One of his first cars was, perhaps not surprisingly, a blue ‘Kenmeri' Skyline with its iconic round tail lamps. "When I saw Kunimitsu Takahashi driving a Hakosuka with blue headlight covers, or later, the blue R32 Calsonic GT-R and even R33 GT-R LM Limited, I knew we needed to add blue to the R34 GT-R range."

Among the most iconic colors on the R34 GT-R, Tamura petitioned for ‘Bayside (Wangan) Blue' to make a comeback for the GT-R's 50th anniversary, applying it to special edition R35 models from 2019.

Similarly, having championed the addition of a unique green to the R34 color palette in the form of ‘Millennium Jade,' which appeared on the R34 V-Spec II Nur and M-Spec Nur, Tamura personally advocated for the color to be included on the T-Spec, late in the R35's lifecyle. As a subtle homage to the R34 Nur models, the T-Spec R35 also features a gold treatment on the engine cover, instead of the typical red.

Exemplifying his fastidious approach to planning and passion for all things connected to the GT-R, Tamura recounts "When we first developed Millennium Jade for the R34, I took paint samples to the green hell to look at them against the backdrop of the hills, trees and track during development of the color."

Tamura's top track moments

Reflecting on what are the most personally rewarding track moments, it will come as no surprise that the various time attack attempts at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany, hold a special place for Tamura. "I visited the Nürburgring over one hundred times, and I've spent probably five hundred days there in total. The 'Ring holds a special place in the development of the modern GT-R" he exclaims with a smile.

Closer to home, he confirms, "Our time attack efforts at Tsukuba circuit were really exciting, and seeing customers win Super Taikyu endurance racing series here in Japan was special. The GT-R NISMO GT3 victory in the Bathurst 12-hour race back in 2015 was also memorable," he adds.

Impactful events

Tamura has travelled the globe supporting the launch and updates of the GT-R in Japan, North America, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, China, Southeast Asia and beyond. He's spent time promoting Nissan sports cars to fans and media the world over, so when asked which fan or GT-R enthusiast event, he views as the biggest he pauses briefly and offers "The R's Meeting in Japan has got to be the biggest gathering of GT-R's in the world". He follows with "Tokyo Auto Salon is always a wonderful event and the GT-R festivals in the U.S. and Australia are also great".

Wildest customer ride

Ask Tamura to name the wildest custom R35 GT-R he's seen while travelling the world and he'll offer you the smile of a man who's seen almost everything. "That's a tough question" he replies. Although when pushed, says "In Australia I saw an R35 drag car with full billet block pumping out several thousand horsepower."

What does the R35 represent to Tamura

"I've said it in the past and still believe that the GT-R is a car that represents the essence of Nissan DNA. Our passion towards creating exciting products and our willingness to take on extreme challenges have been represented in this car," said Tamura.

More than a project or mere job, his work on the GT-R is deeply personal for Tamura who says, "For me it's my lifework, I truly believe that sportscars like the R35 GT-R bring people together, no matter the country or cultural differences, people who love cars often come together and bond over their mutual appreciation vehicles like this. For me, this is a really special and rewarding thing to witness".

Reflecting on the moment

Asked what he's feeling, as the R35 chapter ends Tamura says "I'm proud of all the R35 has achieved and grateful for the support from fans and customers worldwide. In my heart, I'm a Nissan guy and I feel passion and a sense of responsibility to continue pushing for future sports models."

Tamura's dream for the future of the GT-R nameplate

Regardless of how or when a future GT-R might eventuate Tamura says "The starting point and goal, should always be to bring a smile for the customer's face, to deliver true driving pleasure. I tell people to be patient, we had a gap of seventeen years between the Hakosuka and R32 but, Nissan never gave up on the GT-R."

While Tamura today serves an ambassador for Nissan sports cars and is no longer directly responsible for the planning of the brand's sports car range, he says "For any future generation of GT-R, it's just my personal preference, but I'd still like to have some hint of a combustion chamber note. Again, this isn't a hidden indication of the company's intent, or a clue to any potential direction Nissan might take, rather just my personal preference".

The statement is not entirely surprising, for a man who joined the company in-part, due to an affection for the sweet sounds of the early Hakosuka and other cars he saw being driven at ten-tenths around Fuji speedway.