Although Nissan has a clear idea of the successor to the R35 generation in some respects, there is still a debate about the powertrain or design.
The future of one of Nissan’s most important model lines looks quite positive. However, the wait for the new generation GT-R will probably be long. In an interview with Motor Authority magazine, the head of North American Nissan Ponz Pandikuthira said that the GT-R will live on, but it will take time to transform the legendary sports model into a new generation.
With the departure of the current generation R35 (on the market for 16 years), it might seem that Nissan has a successor in the queue. However, the electrification of the Japanese icon is still an ongoing discussion in development. “The next generation GT-R must be an authentic GT-R,” stated Pandikuthira, noting that the future model must handle more than just one lap of the North Loop of the Nürburgring at full speed.
So Nissan engineers are still waiting for a substantial development in the electric drive that would provide the GT-R with respectable capabilities. Although the R36 is the test platform for the next-generation Formula E technology, the head of the brand’s American representation noted that the final decision on the powertrain of the new GT-R has not yet been made.
Nissan’s design department now has to choose from a number of possible designs for the successor to the R35. According to senior vice president of Nissan USA Alfons Albais, the new Godzilla must retain typical distinguishing features (such as the four round lamps at the rear) and also remain “rough, scary car”which can be used on the road and on the circuit.
Albaisa further stated that the Hyper Force concept presented last year is not a complete foreshadowing of the design of the new GT-R, as it did not even carry the model’s logo (more precisely, it appeared on the nose in a blurred form). More or less, the concept boldly shows the possible direction of Nissan’s electric sports model. However, the typical distinguishing elements of the GT-R cannot be overlooked here, as well as the already mentioned rough, scary appearance.
