The next Nissan GT-R will not introduce an electric powertrain, according to the brand’s product strategy chief, who also said a hybrid version of the iconic supercar is inevitable.
In conversation with Engine1Richard Candler, global head of product strategy at Nissan, confirmed that the upcoming sports car, expected to be unveiled no earlier than 2028, will not be an electric vehicle (EV).
“I think what we’ve seen so far is that electric sports cars are not particularly popular,” Mr. Candler said Engine1.
“I think they will come as battery technology takes its next step, but current lithium chemistries are not capable of producing a GT-R type product.
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“We will not rely on batteries in the next generation – under no circumstances.”
It is a milestone for the legendary sports car, whose history goes back to 1969. The Skyline GT-R’s racing success in Australia between 1990 and 1992 cemented its place in local and global automotive folklore.
Mr Candler has also been vocal about his desire to expand Nissan’s sports car range, including a next generation Z coupe and a new edition of the Silvia, which was sold in Australia between 1994 and 2002 as the 200SX.
Nissan has also announced a new generation Skyline. The GT-R was originally a high-performance flagship in the Skyline range before being transformed into a separate model in 2007 – retaining its signature ‘hot plate’ taillights.
For the Halo GT-R, Nissan’s former global product director Pierre Loing – now the company’s chief executive – said in 2024: “We need to have a gap (in production between R35 and R36) because as we go into the electrified world, there is a lot of debate about ‘What is a GT-R in the age of electrification?’.”
“We don’t have all the answers yet. We’re in the middle of all these debates.”
These debates now appear to have been put to rest as it has been confirmed that the GT-R will not be an electric vehicle in the next generation either.
However, Candler says some level of electrification is inevitable.
“(The GT-R) obviously needs to be electrified to some extent due to emissions regulations,” he said Engine1.
“It’s normal to have a feeling for electrification, but the battery is a limiting factor. The battery chemistry is not yet strong enough to meet the needs of the GT-R.”
Ponz Pandikuthira, senior vice president and chief planning officer of Nissan North America, said The drive Earlier this month, the new GT-R “must” be on a new chassis and use a powertrain that is “mostly new.”
“I would say by 2028 you will see some concrete announcements and hopefully you will see an R36 GT-R before the turn of the decade,” he told the publication.
“If there was a hybrid powertrain, the block on this VR38 engine (which was the engine in the R35 GT-R) would be so great. Why throw it away?”
Although no electric powertrain will be used, Mr. Pandikuthira said The drive that Nissan “wants this to be a global car,” which probably means a powertrain that can meet Euro 7 emissions regulations.
It comes as other brands prepare high-performance electric models. The upcoming BMW M3 will be offered with both petrol and electric powertrains and will be built on separate platforms, while Mercedes-AMG is launching a powerful electric drivetrain alongside its combustion engine models.
Volkswagen also plans to sell electric versions of its Polo GTI and Golf GTI hot hatches alongside petrol variants, as long as emissions laws – and customer demand – allow.
The previous R35 GT-R, sold in Australia between 2009 and 2021, featured a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine (VR38DETT), mated exclusively to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.
Each engine was hand-crafted by “Takumi” master technicians at Nissan’s Yokohama factory in Japan, with approximately 1,000 units sold locally.
When it was introduced in 2007, it accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds – around 0.5 seconds faster than the Porsche 911 GT2 that was on sale at the time.
Gradual updates have reduced this time to a claimed 2.5 seconds, with peak power coming in at 441kW and 652Nm for the carbon fiber-clad 2020 GT-R NISMO.
The next-generation GT-R, codenamed R36, is expected to arrive in 2028 and may take inspiration from the Nissan Hyper Force concept that was unveiled at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show, although it wonI will not be running the show car’s electric powertrain.
Ivan Espinosa, president and CEO of Nissan, said: “We understand that expectations are high. The GT-R badge cannot be placed on just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special and the R35 sets the bar high. So I can only ask for your patience.”
Japanese brands’ resurgent interest in sports cars has led to Honda reviving the Prelude after over 20 years. Toyota is also reportedly working on new Celica and MR2 sports cars, which have not been offered since the mid-2000s.
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