More Info on Hybrid R36
From Insideline:
There has been no end to the rumors of what the Nissan GT-R will become next, but the most credible rumor circulating in Japan right now is that a Nissan GT-R Hybrid is in development. The hybrid Godzilla would be part of the R36 generation of the GT-R. Sources close to the project tell us would likely debut in 2012 as a 2013 model with a pricetag around $100K.
The drivetrain for the 2013 Nissan GT-R Hybrid is expected to be a version of the hybrid system in the upcoming Nissan M35 Hybrid, but with a dramatic power increase and an all-wheel-drive layout. However, instead of a normally aspirated V6, the GT-R Hybrid would use a twin-turbocharged V6 just as the R35-derived Infiniti Essence concept did. It would be the same twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 (VR38DETT) the GT-R uses today.
The target would be 440 horsepower for the hybrid application (versus 485 on today's GT-R), with an additional 160 hp coming from the electric motor -- the same one used on the Essence.
With 600 hp to go around, the hybrid GT-R would be just as quick as today's production GT-R, sources tell us. We also hear, though, that serious weight will need to be cut out of the car to offset the addition of the battery pack. And even with that dieting, the GT-R Hybrid is still expected to be heavier than today's car (3,800 pounds).
Fuel economy, though, is expected to be 25-30 mpg, which of course is the very point of building a Nissan GT-R Hybrid. If achievable in the real world, Nissan would have a convenient rebuttal to pundits who argue that supercars (and more generally, fun cars) will lose their relevance in the coming green era. -- Mak Tokuyama, reporting from Japan
Next Gen GT-R, Possibly a 600-HP Hybrid Godzilla?
Word from Japan indicates that the next generation Nissan GT-R could be a hybrid sports car.
Buzz is circulating the internet right now that there's a possibility that the next generation of Nissan GT-R will be powered by a 440HP gas engine coupled with a 160HP electric motor. The combination of the two means, in theory, that the vehicle will be a 600 HP monster that is both a great performer as well as a more fuel efficient vehicle. This is all comes from Japanese automotive magazine Best Car.
I have no doubts that whatever the next gen of GT-R is, it will be awesome.
There is also mention that it could be scaled down to near Honda CR-Z proportions in order to improve overall performance and efficiency.
More details will surely come, so stay tuned.
Source: MotorTrend
R-36 is greenlighted and set to arrive 2013!
'Evolutionary' R36 should be with us by 2013
PistonHeads was at Nissan’s Nurburgring Technical Centre earlier this week, when VP of global product planning Andy Palmer paid a flying visit to show his support for the GT-R programme lead by Kazutoshi Mizuno.It was Andy’s first meeting with the Japanese GT-R ‘away team’ at the Nurburgring and, speaking informally to the assembled engineers and support staff, he spoke warmly of their achievements and reaffirmed Nissan’s commitment to the GT-R project.
“These are very hard times and, as you know, we have had to make cuts to many programmes,’ he told the team. ‘However, it is very important to Nissan that we remain able to offer a diverse range of vehicles from electric cars, to LCVs and the GT-R and we continue to fully support the work you are doing here.”
Speaking to PH later on – while waiting for a rapid ride around the Nurburgring circuit in a Spec-V development car – Andy confirmed that a model replacement programme was still in place in spite of the economic downturn, based on a roughly similar timescale to the Porsche replacement cycle.With the 911 GT2 being the car Nissan likes to benchmark, that puts a lifespan of 5-6 years on the current R35 - according to our rudimentary maths.
Unsurprisingly, Andy also confirmed to us that the next-generation GT-R will be an evolution of the current platform, and will therefore retain the twin-turbocharged V6 and rear transaxle configuration.
“In that respect, it’s not going to be a massive one-off investment,” Palmer told PH. “It’s more a case of putting a bit of money into the programme every year, to make sure we keep the GT-R where it needs to be.”