Nissan would really like to continue with the current GT-R. But increasingly strict emission regulations make it too difficult. But the model is returning.
Nissan promises that the upcoming R36 GT-R will stay true to its roots. The car will be electrified, but according to the Japanese, it will be faster than a Porsche 911 at the Nürburgring.
The next Nissan GT-R faces a huge task: it must be faster than a Porsche 911 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and stay true to its roots.
This is what Motor1 writes.
This is a requirement from Nissan itself. The upcoming R36 GT-R will also be electrified to meet future emissions requirements.
Back in 2008, Nissan created a stir. The then-new R35 GT-R set a time of under 7 minutes and 30 seconds on the Nürburgring. That time was faster than the mighty Porsche 911. It almost created a crisis at Porsche in Stuttgart.
The next GT-R, no matter when it arrives, will have to repeat that feat, according to Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan's product planning manager in the U.S. In fact, he has a number of clear requirements for the new car.
– Number one is that the GT-R has to be a very authentic car, he says.
– Imagine if you made a front-wheel drive electric car and called it a GT-R. Good luck with that, right?
– It must be authentic in relation to its roots.
He also emphasizes the importance of performance on the track. And not just any track. The Japanese are going for the world's most famous piece of asphalt.
It should have a Nürburgring record."
Nissan says the Nürburgring is the GT-R's home track
– That's what established the car's credibility, continues Pandikuthira.
– That it beat a Porsche 911 on the Germans' home turf. That should still hold true.
It's a big challenge. The Porsche 911 has gotten significantly faster since 2008. Right now, Porsche's fastest standard 911 is the GT3 RS. It set a time of 6:49.328 in 2023.
The Nürburgring has also changed the way lap times are measured. Since the GT-R's record in 2008, the track has introduced an official policy. The lap must now be measured over the entire 20.832-kilometer track.
Previously, the short pit lane was often omitted. This resulted in a lap of approximately 20.6 kilometers. On a more directly comparable lap, the GT3 RS recorded a time of 6:44.848.
The new GT-R will have to be extremely fast to beat it. And that's even before the upcoming turbocharged GT2 RS arrives on the track.
Electrification is necessary for the Nissan GT-R
Pandikuthira adds that the next GT-R will have some form of electrification. "Those cars with a lot of horsepower simply won't be able to meet the emissions standards," he says.
– So it's a question of when technology will catch up with us. Battery technology, motor technology.
– It may take us a few years, but the GT-R will undoubtedly return.
The wait will be long. Nissan doesn't have a new GT-R in development right now. It typically takes about four years to go from concept to finished car.
But Nissan's new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, calls himself a "car guy." He's even said he wants to bring the GT-R back.
So it's probably all just a question of time.
Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 is getting faster and faster. Nissan has to dig deep to keep up and surpass its competitor.
Are you interested in fast Nissan models? At Boosted.dk you can read more about other powerful cars from Nissan, like the R34 GT-R that 'nobody' will own after 5 years of inactivity.