Reports from the UK indicate that the next Nissan GT-R is likelier than ever to have hybrid power.
With the next-generation GT-R, internally referred to as the R36, debuting in 2018, AutoCar is reporting that Nissan Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura yet to start on the design, though the drivetrain is already under development. However, Nakamura hinted that the 2020 Vision Gran Turismo concept would “contribute to the overall feeling” of the R36 while the interior moves upscale. Nakamura also stated that it would keep its “boxy, functional appearance,” adding, “It shouldn’t be too elegant, and it should be brutal, with a rawness.”
While the front-engined, all-wheel-drive layout will be maintained, the rumored hybrid powertrain is looking a little more certain. According to Top Gear, Nissan Great Britain’s head of sports car development, James Oliver, has all but confirmed it. “I think [a GT-R hybrid] is the obvious direction,” Oliver said. “We already have the capability in terms of battery production and electric vehicle technology, so I don’t think it’s a great stretch to think a future performance product would have some of that tech incorporated into it.”
Without mentioning the competition directly, Oliver referenced the new generation of hybrid supercars like the LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1 that the GT-R is going up against. “The overall market is looking at different methods of powering cars, and at Nissan we’ve got great expertise and investment of electric,” said Oliver.
In any case, the purpose of the GT-R and is rank in the automotive kingdom is not lost on Oliver: “When the R35 launched in 2009 it was a massive leap forward, and we need to make sure when the next generation comes, it’s a similar leap forward. Not just the car itself, but the overall effect for Nissan.”
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