The next-generation Nissan GT-R is still on the way, but it is not expected to become a fully electric supercar. Instead, Nissan appears to be moving toward a hybrid setup for the R36, most likely built around a V6 engine.
The R35 Nissan GT-R ended production in 2025 after a long run that began in 2007. Its retirement immediately raised questions about whether Nissan would continue the GT-R nameplate and what form a successor might take.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has already made it clear that the GT-R remains one of the brand’s most important performance icons. According to the source, Espinosa described the GT-R as one of Nissan’s strongest brands and confirmed that a successor is planned.
Although Nissan previewed an electric performance future with the Hyper Force concept in 2023, the production GT-R successor is not expected to follow that route. Nissan’s global head of product strategy, Richard Candler, told EVO that current lithium battery chemistry is not capable of delivering the kind of product expected from a GT-R.
Candler also noted that electric sports cars have not yet become widely popular, suggesting that Nissan is not ready to risk the GT-R’s identity on today’s battery technology.
While a full EV has been ruled out for the next generation, some level of electrification is still expected. Candler indicated that emissions regulations will require the GT-R to be electrified in some form, but described the battery as the limiting factor.
That points toward a hybrid powertrain rather than a battery-electric layout. The most likely solution appears to be a hybrid V6, especially as Nissan is already working on this type of powertrain.
The decision comes at a time when loveral high-profile electric hypercars have struggled to translate extreme performance figures into strong demand. The source highlights models such as the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija as examples of electric performance cars that have not achieved broad sales momentum.
For Nissan, the GT-R has always been about repeatable performance, engineering credibility and a clear connection to its predecessors. A hybrid V6 could allow the R36 to meet tougher emissions rules while preserving more of the GT-R character than a full EV would currently allow.
Nissan has not yet revealed when the next GT-R will arrive or what its final technical specifications will be. However, the latest comments suggest that the R36 will not be a pure electric supercar and that a hybrid performance setup is now the most realistic direction.
