Here’s The Strongest Hint Yet That The Nissan R36 GT-R Will Go Hybrid

It’s been less than two months since the 2017 R35 GT-R was revealed, but when it comes to Nissan’s flagship supercar, we’re still preoccupied with imagining what the next one will be like. We’re talking about the R36, and for some time now it’s been thought that the R35 successor will gain electric power.

On several occasions we’ve had key people from Nissan making noises about electric power making an appearance on the R36, and the latest round of hints are from company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura. Speaking to Automotive News, Nakamura said: “electrification is almost inevitable for any car…If the next-generation GT-R has some electrification, nobody would be surprised at that time.”

The key bit is “some electrification,” as what we’re most likely looking at is a hybrid car. As to what engine will power it, an updated version of the current 3.8-litre VR38DETT V6 has been touted, but Nismo boss Motohiro Matsamura did tell us last year that the VRX 30A 3.0-litre V6 found in the now aborted GT-R LM project could be described as an “early ancestor” to the R36’s eventual powerplant.

According to Nakamura, we can also expect a wider, higher car as Nissan is “playing with the car’s proportions, partly to improve driving dynamics and aerodynamics”. What’ll be most interesting to see however, is how heavy it’ll be with all those electrical gubbins onboard…