The Nissan GT-R 545hp supercar is certainly eye- and ear-catching, but nothing could be better than actually driving it, unless… For 2014, Nissan’s street-legal race car is currently powered by a turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 and a twin-clutch transmission for near-instantaneous shifting, but the next-generation could be slightly different.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recently announced the next generation GT-R would start development, which is a good sign. A Nissan engineer said the next Nissan GT-R could employ “some electronic device” [read: hybrid] to boost efficiency and reduce emissions, especially in light of the recent US CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] standards as well as stricter EU emissions regulations.
Hybridizing a supercar isn’t a new idea, as Ferrari is also working on a hybrid Enzo, to boost power and reduce emissions, but only slightly. Nissan engineers have been looking at a modified Infiniti M35h hybrid platform for the GT-R, but there could be a problem with this idea, since such a system would add about 400 pounds.
If the next-generation Nissan GT-R is going to go hybrid, then it faces some serious weight-loss issues. Lighter materials might be able to help, and while the new hybrid GT-R might be more powerful, up to 600hp, it would also end up a little less agile.