Nissan hasn’t officially axed the now 17-year-old GT-R, but it’s already looking ahead to a next-generation model.
In March, Nissan Japan announced 2025 updates for the R35 GT-R, saying at the time “production is limited and some orders might not be accepted”. This was followed in June by the unveiling of two sendoff special editions for the US market.
It’s still yet to officially announce when GT-R production will end, but Nissan executives have hinted the end of the road is near for its flagship performance car.
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US market GT-R Skyline Edition (left) and Takumi Edition (right)
Speaking to Top Gear, Nissan’s global product chief Pierre Loing said the GT-R is “still on sale – for the moment”.
“It’s been on sale for 17 years and we’d love to make it another 17 years, but the regulator gives us some trouble!”
The Nissan Hyper Force concept at last year’s Tokyo motor show previewed the potential future of the GT-R as a 1000kW electric coupe, with reports from Japan claiming the R36 generation model will feature solid-state batteries.
According to Mr Loing, advancements in battery development could see a vehicle with these batteries launch as soon as 2028.
“Every step is a breakthrough over what we can currently do with lithium-ion batteries,” Mr Loing told Top Gear.
Hyper Force concept
“We are on par to do our first prototype solid-state battery by spring 2025. We’ll have a prototype vehicle two years later using real batteries then eventually by 2028 we want a vehicle which we will sell; probably in small numbers and in Japan to begin with.
“We are currently on time for this. I think it will work and solid-state technology solves a lot of the problems of EV batteries such as density, heat etc.
“Those vehicles with 150 or 200kWh batteries? It’s nonsense – the weight, the cost, the big wheels and tyres and brakes that they need. Solid-state helps us break that cycle.”
Whether this first solid state battery-powered vehicle will be the next GT-R is unclear.
Mr Liong’s remarks suggest a new GT-R is still some way off… and that what it uses for power hasn’t been locked in.
“[…] we need to have a gap [in production between R35 and R36], because going into the electrified world, there is a lot of debate about ‘what is a GT-R in an era of electrification?’,” he said.
“We don’t have all the answers yet. We are in the middle of all those debates.”
Mr Liong suggested there could be a period of time where Nissan doesn’t have any GT-R in its lineup.
“Of course I’d love to have something to fill the gap. But if you look at the history of the GT-R badge, we’ve had gaps before,” he said.
“We showed the GT-R concept in 2001, ended R34 Skyline GT-R production in 2002, then the R35 didn’t launch until 2007.
“The gap between the ‘Kenmeri’ Skyline GT-R ending in 1975 and the R32 starting in 1989 was even larger. The GT-R is strong enough to live with these gaps in its production.”
The Nissan GT-R was axed from Australian showrooms in November 2021, after new side-impact laws made the all-wheel drive supercar killer and a number of other models non-compliant with local regulations.
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