2015 Nissan GT-R hybrid system confirmed

Nissan’s next generation of the GT-R supercar will feature a hybrid drivetrain, according to a fresh report from the UK.

Speaking with Autocar, Nissan sales and marketing boss Andy Palmer  confirmed the expected technology shift, with the R36 GT-R likely to gain performance and efficiency improvements similar to the hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder, LaFerrari and McLaren P1 supercars.

"There is an inevitability about electrification of all cars in the future, and there is the very real prospect of enhancements coming from this and ending up on a sports car like the Nissan GT-R," Palmer says.

"The electric systems can fill in the gaps in the torque curve and offer genuine performance gains, as well as lowering emissions. It’s win-win, and I’d expect to see some form of hybridisation on the next generation of car."

The existing R35 generation has racked up a long list of achievements since its 2007 arrival, including several giant-slaying Nurburgring lap times, and the current 404kW/628Nm version’s 0-100km/h acceleration figure of 2.7 seconds.

However, the twin-turbo 3.8 litre V6 returns a not-altogether PC combined fuel figure of 11.7L/100km. Porsche has demonstrated that such figures can be relegated to history with its 918 Spyder, boasting an incredible combined figure of 3.3L/100km. 

The next GT-R is expected to appear some time in 2015, but in the meantime Nissan will take the wraps off the Nismo-tuned version of the current model at this month’s Tokyo motor show, where a fastest-yet Nurburgring time is expected to be announced. 

Palmer hinted that former F1 driver Sebastian Buemi was used to set the latest time. "He was flat-out in places that other people brake in. His lack of experience at the ‘Ring didn’t hold him back."

Palmer also confirmed that the GT-R Nismo will follow the regular GT-R’s tradition of annual model-year spec revisions, which will likely see the ‘Ring figures continue to fall.

"We hope to offer improvements with each model year, enhancing things like the aerodynamic capabilities and engine each time," he says. "The benchmark of that will be our ‘Ring time, and we expect to see it come down each year."

This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn