- The next-generation Nissan GT-R will use a hybrid powertrain, instead of a purely electric one as was previously indicated.
- Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan’s chief planning officer for North America, confirmed the news to The Drive at the New York auto show.
- Pandikuthira said the R36-generation GT-R will arrive in the next three to five years and could be co-developed with the next-generation Acura NSX.
A report from The Drive shows that the next-generation Nissan GT-R will be a hybrid, rather than an EV, as was previously reported by the company. The news comes courtesy of an interview with Nissan’s chief planning officer for North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, who spoke with the outlet at the New York auto show.NissanAccording to the report, the brand hasn’t determined whether or not to make the R36 generation a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, with heat management and energy density the chief concerns. Pandikuthira told The Drive that while he likes the idea of a PHEV more, today’s conventional hybrid tech makes more sense for the GT-R’s track requirements. Nissan reportedly wanted to make the GT-R fully electric, going as far as building several prototypes, but according to Pandikuthira, “Basically it’s like it would complete one lap at the Nürburgring, and then you have to recharge the car,” he said. “And then that charging is going to take you a while, and it’s just not authentic.”Even with the potential for solid-state batteries, Pandikuthira said an electric GT-R doesn’t make sense. “You just built a thing to check that box that you have a GT-R, but it’s not really a GT-R,” he said. “No, electric, I don’t think you’ll deliver with the technology that we have now, or even with solid state, the kind of performance that’s expected out of a GT-R.”NissanInstead, expect Nissan to really tighten the screws on the Armada’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, which the Nissan exec pointed out is engineered for emissions standards stretching to 2032. He pointed out how clean-burning the engine is and definitively stated that the R36 will “absolutely” be turbocharged. In a separate report from the same interview, Pandikuthira told The Drive that Nissan’s new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, has continued working with Honda, despite failed merger talks between the two automakers. That relationship, according to Pandikuthira, could feasibly result in the R36 GT-R being jointly developed for the same platform as the next-generation Honda/Acura NSX. The Nissan boss pointed to Aston Martin, which sources engines from Mercedes-Benz, as a model for how the two cars could share a platform without being too similar. We also shouldn’t have to wait that much longer to learn more about the new Godzilla. Pandikuthira told The Drive he expects the new GT-R will arrive in the next three to five years. Unfortunately, with order books officially closed on the R35 GT-R, we’ll have to do that waiting without the GT-R on sale. More on GodzillaJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
