The Nissan GT-R, also known as Godzilla, is the Japanese brand’s halo sports car. The current generation was a revelation when it came out. The trouble is it came out back in 2007, the same year Steve Jobs debuted the first iPhone. And while the GT-R once offered supercar performance for a modest price, it now starts off more expensive than a Porsche 911.
Nissan has not announced a next-generation GT-R yet. And its future is open to speculation as Nissan has faced financial problems. They only sell about 300 GT-Rs per year in the U.S. But, as spotted by Motor1, Nissan’s Australian media site may have inadvertently confirmed that a next-generation GT-R is in the works.
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Australia is losing the R35 GT-R in November as it no longer meets the country’s crash regulations. A Nissan Australia press release notes that it will be “the last time the current-generation vehicle will be offered” and that “this isn’t the end to the GT-R story in Australia.” If it isn’t the last time the GT-R will be offered, but it’s the last time the current-generation GT-R will be offered, one must rationally conclude there will be a next-gen R36 GT-R.
When the next-generation GT-R would arrive is one issue. A report last year pegged it for 2023. It’s not clear right now where the new GT-R would place on a spectrum between intention and full-on production car. As with the new Z car, expect Nissan to introduce a GT-R concept — of the non-wearable variety — before the production car.
Like the new Z car, another question will be how new an R36 GTR would actually be. However, the same report that pegged the new GT-R for 2023 has it featuring a revolutionary hybrid setup with an F1-like kinetic energy recovery system, which would have a fittingly Godzilla-like impact.