Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., will exhibit a quarter-scale model of its new Nissan GT-R as part of "Wa: The Spirit of Harmony and Japanese Design Today," a traveling European exhibition which will open at the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris this month. The Paris event will run from Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 to Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.

The Japan Foundation and the Association of The Japan Cultural Institute in Paris are jointly organizing this design exhibition, featuring 161 exemplary product designs from Japan. The exhibits will be shown in twelve categories, including tableware, kitchen and bath items, home electronics, information, toys, stationary, sundries, outfits, bags, vehicles, furniture, and lighting apparatus. The works will also be categorized and exhibited under six keywords - "kawaii" ("cute"), craft, texture, touch, minimal, and sensitivity -- which illustrate unique elements of Japanese design. After Paris, the exhibition will move to Hungary, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Since the original GT-R appeared in 1969, it has embodied the harmony between Japanese tradition and modern design. The latest Nissan GT-R was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2007 to worldwide acclaim. The Nissan GT-R will go on sale in Europe in spring 2009 and already 2,226 units have been preordered.