Nissan NISMO preparing GT-R supercar with hybrid, EV drivetrains - report

Godzilla is planning on making a return, and it will be pumped full of electrons. Beware.

Speaking with Autocar, NISMO’s CEO Takao Katagiri said Nissan’s go-fast division is working on a “very exciting model” that will be sold in Japan, the US, the UK, and Europe.

The new car will likely be the next-generation GT-R or, at the very least, the GT-R’s spiritual successor. In the UK, at least, the car will be sold under the Nismo sub-brand.

Katagiri hinted the vehicle will be launched this decade, and said it will be available with a “combination” of hybrid and EV drivetrains.

Last year Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said the automaker was hoping to fit a non-hybrid drivetrain to the GT-R’s successor. Those hopes seem to have fallen by the wayside, especially if the company is aiming to sell the car in Europe.

It’s likely the GT-R successor will be initially fitted with a hybrid drivetrain. Company executives have previously told the UK publication Nissan isn’t prepared to launch a performance EV model until solid-state batteries are ready.

According to Autocar, the brand is well advanced with its solid-state battery research. Although it’s preparing to open a pilot factory in 2024, the technology probably won’t be used in production vehicles until 2028.

The GT-R successor is expected to be a standalone model, and is likely to employ a largely unique architecture.

While production of the current R35 GT-R continues, it has been withdrawn from sale in Australia as it doesn’t comply with our unique side-impact requirements. It has also been withdrawn from sale in Europe.

The company’s only other sports car is the Z, which despite its new body, twin-turbo V6 engine and redesigned interior, uses the same platform as the 370Z, which was launched in 2008.

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