• Nissan plans to introduce a new GT-R - in hybrid form – in the coming years.
Not so long ago, Nissan confirmed the current, gas-engine GT-R was reaching the end of the road. The end of production of the existing generation did not bode well for the future, because despite numerous rumours, Nissan had refrained from confirming a future evolution.
Given the ongoing electric shift across the industry, many believed the future of the car nicknamed Godzilla, if there was to be one, would necessarily involve full-on electrification.
Well, no. At the most recent New York Auto Show, Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan's head of product planning for North America, confirmed to The Drive that there will indeed be a successor to the model, and that it will be a hybrid.
What hasn’t been decided is whether the next GT-R is to come in a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid configuration. Heat management and energy density reportedly remain key concerns. Pandikuthira said he liked the idea of a plug-in hybrid model, but that the conventional hybrid configuration might be better suited to the expectations of GT-R owners, especially those who enjoy track sessions.
Regarding an all-electric option, Pandikuthira seemed dubious: “Basically, it's like doing a lap on the Nürburgring, and then you have to recharge it.” In other words, while prototypes have reportedly been built, for the moment, the option does not seem viable. Even with the improvement of technology and the coming solid-state batteries that will offer more range, an electric GT-R doesn’t make sense for the executive. For him, an electric GT-R would not be a real GT-R.
Instead, we can expect the next GT-R to welcome under its hood Nissan's 3.5L twin-turbo V6 engine, a block that was designed to meet pollutant emission standards until 2032.
Another interesting note: The Nissan executive seemed to suggest that negotiations with Honda are still ongoing and that it’s not impossible the development of the next GT-R will involve some form of collaboration with Honda, which would offer a new Acura NSX on the same structure.
We shall see, but that could be interesting.