Nissan is expected to launch the next generation GT-R by the end of the decade, and it won’t be a pure electric car. The new R36 GT-R, which will replace the outdated R35, will have a plug-in hybrid powertrain and will be launched in three to five years, according to Nissan’s Director of Planning Ponz Pandikutira in an interview with The Drive.
Although it sounds like Nissan is already developing the GT-R in-house, Pandikutira also hinted to The Drive that the company may partner with Honda to share the platform with the new Acura NSX. Pandikutira has expressed a lot of theoretical thoughts about the GT-R. He teases that it could feature the twin-turbo V6 engine from the 2025 Nissan Armada, but still be able to travel 70 miles or so on battery power for city driving only.
Pandikutira also told The Drive that Nissan has built prototypes of the GT-R EV, but believes the electric version will “go one lap on the Nurburgring” before needing to recharge, echoing the same concern he expressed in an interview with Motor Authority in 2024. At the time, Pandikutira said they had not yet decided which powertrain they would use. Other electric cars, such as the Tesla Model S Plaid, have driven at least three laps on the Nürburgring on a single charge.
In addition, Pandikutira noted that the solid-state battery technology that Nissan is developing is probably not suitable for the R36 GT-R. “Maybe for other electric cars that could be made, it would be nice to see them at the country club, but the GT-R is still a long way from maximizing its performance as an electric car,” Pandikutira told The Drive.
As Jalopnik notes, it would be difficult to meet the 2030 deadline for the GT-R, given that a possible collaboration with Honda could take some time. This raises the question of whether Pandikutira’s comments about the GT-R are just wishful thinking, or whether there is something much more to be revealed.
