The Nissan GT-R is arguably one of the most iconic and longest running nameplates in the automotive industry today. While it’s history in the U.S. has been relatively brief, it has developed a cult following in its home market. The current generation GT-R was unveiled way back in 2017, and it has remained in production since. While the car has undergone changes over the years, the core elements of the model have still largely remained the same. With the GT-R rapidly aging, a new report suggests that big changes are in store for the iconic sports car.
According to the folks at Automotive News, the report has its origins in an interview with Nissan Motor Co. COO Ashwani Gupta who revealed that the company is in the process of a massive revamp of its lineup in the U.S. with the GT-R being included in the wide swath of models that will either be updated or heavily revamped for the future. According to the report, work is already underway on the GT-R’s redesign which could make its appearance in 2023. That’s two years away, but it will give Nissan engineers plenty of time to completely rethink the way the GT-R approaches performance. That could mean the introduction of an all new hybrid powertrain. However, like some of the other hybrid setups in its segment, it’s rumored to be a kinetic recovery system. A similar system is already in use on the GT-R LM Nismo, and Nissan could perhaps use elements of this system for the GT-R.
This latest report is a massive contradiction to two prior reports that appeared in regards to the GT-R. One claims that the upcoming GT-R will not go hybrid, while a second report suggests that the current model will solider on in its current form until 2027. That’s an eternity in car years, and the competition would have a massive advantage over the GT-R in terms of performance and technology updates. A key factor though are the current internal forces that are now in play inside the company. When these original reports appeared, it was last year back when Ghosn was in power, and COVID-19 a distant thought. As such, it will be interesting to see how the program has been affected by these pressures.
Nissan for its part has neither confirmed nor denied the report, with the company preferring to focus its priorities on more pressing products including the upcoming replacement for the Nissan 370Z, as well as several other key revamps aimed at further bolstering the company’s road to financial recovery..
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.