The next generation Nissan GT-R is likely to become a hybrid, yes you heard it right, this 313km an-hour, 479bhp Japanese land rocket in its next avatar will have electric motor of some kind to assist its 3.6-litre V6 power plant both in terms off the line and fuel-saving.
Motortrend reports that the basic proportions and design of the car will stay the same, but it will get a new face and tweaked aerodynamics to make a car that can already corner like its on rails go even faster. It is also expected to get improved interiors and many more little toys and functions to enhance the driving experience.
However, the bit we are interested in is what Nissan will place under the hood. Due to increasingly stricter emission norms both in the US and Europe, the next-gen GT-R will get a hybrid powertrain like the one we saw in the Infiniti Essence concept ( same engine+ same hybrid motor).
The other suggestion the report has given is that Nissan might employ a combination of a turbo compressor and generator which would function as assist device rather than a full-fledged power supply. Both setups will get a start/stop system to improve fuel-efficiency and to comply with emission norms.
While the hybrid seems like the eco-friendly option, the size of the battery and the motors are both massive. Nissan will surely have to find a way to shave off around 450 kgs from the weight to make the next gen GT-R as nimble as it predecessors.
The man behind the GT-R, Kazutoshi Mizuno, has hinted that the new car is likely to see the light of day sometime after 2017 before which the current car is expected to get one more round of revisions. Though, in the case of the GT-R, there have always been private tuners tweaking and improving every model that is launched. Whatever the result, we are always excited to hear about the GT-R and hope that Nissan will make the next one as exciting as the current one.
Source: Motortrend
