Next-generation Nissan GT-R to go with hybrid power?

Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign

The rumour mill spins once again for the next-generation Nissan GT-R, which has been reported previously to be taking the electrification route in some form or another. The latest from Nissan itself emerges that the Japanese brand’s model line-up is set for a significant revamp in the United States, and this includes the GT-R, Nissan chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta told Automotive News.

Nissan is already working on the successor to the current GT-R, and this could emerge in 2023, according to the report, which added that the company is considering a hybrid powertrain for its halo performance model. This could take the form of a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), similar in concept to that used in the firm’s 2015 GT-R LM Nismo endurance racer which was entered into the LMP1 category.

The prototype racer was said to produce in the region of 1,200 – 1,500 hp in total system output, or around 500 hp from its 3.0 litre internal combustion V6 engine and over 750 hp from its eight-megajoule KERS system. The next-generation GT-R’s hybrid powertrain, should it materialise in production form, likely won’t reach these peak figures, though it can be expected to improve upon the current car’s 565 hp and 633 Nm.

The Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition

The Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign steps up the output considerably to 720 hp at 7,100 rpm and 780 Nm of torque from 3,600 to 5,600 rpm, although this is a limited edition variant with bespoke bodywork, and pricing started from a sizeable 990,000 euros (RM4.7 million).

Last year, Nissan’s global vice president of design Alfonso Albaisa said that the next GT-R will be its own special car, and not draw cues from the Italdesign-penned GT-R50, and it has to be ‘the fastest super sports car in the world.’

“Whether we go to a lot of electrification or none at all, we can achieve a lot, power-wise. But we are definitely making a new ‘platform’ and our goal is clear: GT-R has to be the quickest car of its kind. It has to ‘own’ the track. And it has to play the advanced technology game; but that doesn’t mean it has to be electric,” Albaisa said of the future GT-R’s direction.

GALLERY: Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign