Earlier this year, it was announced that Nissan had closed the order books for the GT-R R35, with no confirmation or word on a successor. However, there’s good news for enthusiasts — the R36 is indeed coming, and it’ll be a hybrid, not a full EV.
This confirmation comes from Nissan’s Chief Planning Officer for North America, Ponz Pandikuthira. He revealed the details during an interview with The Drive at the New York Auto Show.
Naturally, the big question on everyone’s mind is: why not go fully electric, especially when the entire industry seems to be heading in that direction? According to Pandikuthira, Nissan did explore the idea and even built prototypes — but the results weren’t promising.
“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.”
He elaborated further, saying that building an all-electric GT-R would simply be ticking a box, rather than delivering the genuine GT-R experience. Given current technology, even with advances like solid-state batteries, an all-electric GT-R wouldn’t be able to meet the performance standards expected form the Godzilla.
Although the R36 has been confirmed as a hybrid, Nissan is still evaluating whether it will be a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid. Heat management and energy density remain key technical challenges. That said, Pandikuthira believes conventional hybrid technology currently makes more sense for the GT-R’s demanding track performance.
One detail that has been locked in is the engine: the R36 will feature the Armada’s 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6. Pandikuthira noted that this engine was engineered to meet emissions regulations well into 2032, underlining just how clean-burning and future-proof it is.
There’s also speculation that the R36 might share its platform with the Honda/Acura NSX. This comes in light of Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa’s continued collaboration efforts with Honda, even after a merger attempt between the two automakers fell through.
Regardless of the final specs or platform, one thing is certain — the Nissan GT-R R36 is on its way. Expect its debut sometime within the next three to five years.
(Source: The Drive)
