Cost Cuts Be Damned: Nissan Is Still Planning a New GT-R
Nissan is facing an uphill battle as it attempts to turn the corner from flagging sales and uninspiring vehicle designs. Despite those challenges, the Japanese automaker hasn’t given up on its iconic sports cars, including the GT-R. An executive recently told Motor1 that the brand is working on a new Godzilla, saying that it “will be back, without a doubt.”
Nissan is facing an uphill battle as it attempts to turn the corner from flagging sales and uninspiring vehicle designs. Despite those challenges, the Japanese automaker hasn’t given up on its iconic sports cars, including the GT-R. An executive recently told Motor1 that the brand is working on a new Godzilla, saying that it “will be back, without a doubt.”
Arnaud Charpentier, Nissan’s VP of product marketing, told reporters that, “There are people working on this. When, how, honestly, we don’t know. But today, we don’t just need to make a sports car, but to do one with a powertrain that we foresee [working] in the coming years. If it is electric or electrified, it needs to remain a sports car. [But] if you end up with the same performance as an EV SUV, this is an issue.”
While an electric GT-R might be sacrilege for enthusiasts, it’s at least encouraging to hear that Nissan doesn’t want to electrify the car just for the sake of doing it. It’s also good news that the automaker isn’t giving up on the car altogether, as lofty sports car programs are often the first to go in cost-cutting efforts.
Whatever form the R36 GT-R takes, it’s clear Nissan’s executives are excited and talking about the car. The company’s new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, is a sports car guy at heart, driving his Z to the office every day. Let’s just hope his influence is strong enough for Nissan to retain the sports cars that made it a household name in the first place.
[Images: Nissan]
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