Nissan GT-R Sales Skyrocket 3,100% after Fast and Furious Q3 2023
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Finding the right sports car is like finding the right pair of jeans. It can take some time, even some trial and error. Oddly enough, that is a pretty similar story to the Nissan GT-R and its life cycle. Nissan had the market cornered at one point, thanks to the GT-R and the more affordable Z. However, that popularity has waxed and waned over the years. With a 2024 Nissan GT-R in the mix, Nissan’s Fast and Furious super sports car is back to waxing.
Nissan GT-R sales break records in Q3 2023
Whatever record this is, the Nissan GT-R broke it. Sales have been up and down for Nissan’s famous sports car over the last few years, but things are back up in a big way. According to GoodCarBadCar, Nissan sold 32 GT-Rs last month alone. That’s a considerable increase over the single unit sold in the same month the previous year. That represents a 3,100% increase over the same time in 2022. But it isn’t just last month that the uber-famous sports car has seen a sudden rise in sales.
| Make & Model | 2023 Month | 2022 Month | YOY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | 629 | 2 | 31,350% |
| Toyota Sequoia | 2,129 | 9 | 23,555% |
| Nissan GT-R | 32 | 1 | 3,100% |
| Cadillac Lyriq | 1,006 | 36 | 2,694% |
| Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback | 278 | 14 | 1,885% |
Nissan has sold 312 or so of the GT-R this year, which is up from the 56 sold (total) the year before. Another impressive 457.14% increase year over year. Nissan’s sales data echoes the same thing: 312 quick-as-can-be sports cars sold so far this year.
What’s behind the GT-R’s sudden popularity?
The Nissan GT-R is popular for a few reasons that are semi-unique to it. First of all, the GT-R is a big name in the enthusiast world. For a long time, importing one from Japan was high on the list of every 16 to 19-year-old kid at car meets.
Though we cannot attribute all of its popularity to the Fast & Furious movie franchise, we can attribute some. The first movie came out in 2001, but Paul Walker drove an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R in Fast & Furious 4. The actual R34 driven by Paul Walker sold at auction earlier this year for $1.18 million, setting a new record for Nissan vehicles at auction. With that installment out in 2009, the sales numbers make a lot of sense. Perhaps it was so popular because it was mostly unattainable, thanks to some import laws that made it more trouble than it was worth.
| Year | Units Sold | Year | Units Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,730 | 2016 | 698 |
| 2009 | 1,530 | 2017 | 578 |
| 2010 | 877 | 2018 | 538 |
| 2011 | 1,294 | 2019 | 331 |
| 2012 | 1,255 | 2020 | 303 |
| 2013 | 1,236 | 2021 | 228 |
| 2014 | 1,436 | 2022 | 57 |
| 2015 | 1,105 | 2023 | 312 |
When Nissan brought the GT-R to America and made it available for purchase, it was pretty popular for the first two years. Sales in 2008, the first year it was available, reached 1,730 units. 2022 was the lowest year of sales, with only 57 units sold. It was on hiatus for 2021-2022 with no new model offered. That hiatus seems to have paid off, with the 2023 model ramping up in popularity again.
What’s next for the 2024 Nissan GT-R?
There is a 2023 Nissan GT-R available now, with two trim levels to choose from. The 2023 GT-R Premium has 565 horsepower and starts at $116,040. Nissan also offers the NISMO trim with 600 horsepower and a $215,740 price tag.
There is also a 2024 GT-R that anyone can take home for $120,990. Pricing for the 2024 Nissan GT-R is as follows:
- Premium: $120,990
- T-spec: $140,990
- NISMO: $220,990
With a fully loaded 2024 model running $220k, it will be interesting to see how many NISMO trims sell. Some models already show availability, while others show availability after November 11, 2023. Either way, the GT-R is having a banner year, and you will likely see more of these around. If you live life a quarter mile at a time like Vin Diesel, you may as well do it in a GT-R.
