New GT-R will be ‘front-engined 2+2 hybrid’

[Wretched]

Shiro Nakamura might be a diminutive chap in stature, but in car-drawing terms Nissan's Chief Creative Officer is a colossus.

TG caught up with Nakamura-san - fresh from winning the Grand Prix du Design award at the International Automobile Festival - at the London launch of Infiniti's revised Q70 exec saloon.

Of course we should have been complimenting him on the Q70's new LED lights and tweaked bootlid, but, um, we want to know about the new GT-R instead.

So we asked Nakamura-san if he'd seen any of the speculative renderings the internet has spewed out, all purporting to show how the new GT-R will absolutely definitely look.

"Yes, I've seen them," Shiro smiles. "Not one of them is close [to how the car will look]". But what about the Vision Gran Turismo (pictured above)? Any GT-R clues in that virtual concept car?

"Maybe some elements from the front and rear, but that is a mid-engined car. Mizuno-san [the GT-R's legendary father] says the GT-R will always be a front-engined 2+2-seater coupe."

So, no need to worry about a GT-R crossover or convertible, then? Nakamura-san grins and shakes his head. Phew. "It will be a hybrid," he confirms, "but not mid-engined."

And when might we see a new GT-R? "Not yet. 2018 at the earliest," is Shiro's reply. He says the current car, updated every year with revised styling, suspension and software updates, is still selling healthily, and the GT-R's team reckons there's yet more performance to squeeze from the current car.

Yup, more performance from a car that can run 2.8 seconds from 0-62mph and laps the Nurburgring in 7m8s. The mind does indeed boggle.

TG suggests a new feature to stop Olympic cyclists crashing might be useful. Shiro laughs, and cringes a little.

"Yes, I was there at the Festival of Speed [when Sir Chris Hoy punted a Nismo GT-R into the hay bales]. I heard the crash and thought ‘argh!'. Then for the next two days, all they show on the big screen is the same shot of our GT-R crashing into the barrier. But at least the car was safe and strong..."

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/n...018-2015-01-29

Using their future LMP1 experience like Ford?

[FPV GTHO]

I hope not, the Nissan LMP is predicted to be FWD with a hybrid system driving the rears.

[Vesper Martini]

I'm sure Nakamura wont disappoint.
but if the picture suggests it will next have the Outrageous looks to match its performance.
when you see them racing against Lambos etc they look out of place..

[marty351]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

I'm sure Nakamura wont disappoint.
but if the picture suggests it will next have the Outrageous looks to match its performance.
when you see them racing against Lambos etc they look out of place..

Agreed.
Looks like the Batmobile.

[fgpsi]

Sheetbox

[Falcon Coupe]

Always interesting to see the next guise of innovation from the GTR's. Hybrid tech is moving along fast in the super car world.
Hopefully it punches well above it's RRP as usual.

[Grippy]

Nothing wrong with a hybrid engine that works in conjunction with a internal combustion engine. The McLaren P1 is an animal that still sounds amazing.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

Sheetbox

Care to explain why you think of this car in this way? Or do you just automatically assume it is so because is from Japan?


Perhaps you don't really know cars that well?

[fgpsi]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Care to explain why you think of this car in this way? Or do you just automatically assume it is so because is from Japan?


Perhaps you don't really know cars that well?

Talking about the look of that design above . Looks horrible

[MITCHAY]

It will be interesting to see what they can do with this when considering how fast the current one is.

It looks like they are going with a more super car style which is where the new NSX is seems to be going too.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

Talking about the look of that design above . Looks horrible

Its the Nissan GT-R Vision GT, a car designed for Gran Turismo 6.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

It will be interesting to see what they can do with this when considering how fast the current one is.

It looks like they are going with a more super car style which is where the new NSX is seems to be going too.

I reckon they'll use the hybrid system as an active yaw front diff like the NSX, I'm not sure if the current mechanical system can do it like the Mitsubishi Evo's can. if the front wheels are driven purely by the electric motors, it would also eliminate the complicated driveshafts that go from a front mounted engine, to a rear mounted gearbox, back to a front mounted diff.

[Nikked]

Im actually scared...Nismo GT-R is already insanely fast, and they want to go faster...almost sure they will punch a GT-R shaped hole in the space/time continuum...

[39ClevoUte]

Drive train aside: Nissan design always looks like the designers have just done their first TAFE project, when they get better they move to Suzuki, thenToyota and then after a few more years Honda.

[99AUXR]

Interesting I love the current GTR look :/

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by 99AUXR

Interesting I love the current GTR look :/

I think they look awesome but a regular theme seems to be is while they maybe as fast as a Ferrari or whatever they just don't have the style.

It seems to me they are trying to change this perception with this thing. It goes like one it might as well look like one.

If they can pull it off with around the same price as now it will be good.

[Rastas]

There is no chance that if this goes into production that it would be even remotely similer in price to the current GT-R.
Nissan mite be able to keep its price competative with the exotics but that wont stop it from being priced out of reach from many of its current owners.

[fgpsi]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Its the Nissan GT-R Vision GT, a car designed for Gran Turismo 6.

image

That is freaking ugly mate

[strik9]

784bhp 585kw and 998 nm . think thats prob enough said!! will be big increase in price , sure it will be worth every cent if you can afford one.

guys bagging it are prob in that boat.......

[Dash_XR]

Took me a while to get use to the 35 but the normal version won't be that crazy. GTR's are meant to be giant slayers not giants themselves.

[Nikked]

One thing is, the R35 looks better in real life then photos, they do look bulky, but once you step up to one and get a feel for dimensions perception changes.

[Dash_XR]

Yeah I like them now, still like the 34 better though. I'm a sucker for straight sixes.

[strik9]

got to move with the times. you can even puts the looks aside , you still have to respect a car that has this sort of capability . Porsche looks like crap too me but still has my respect for its performance .

i,m sure anyone thats hating on the new gtr for whatever reason, given the chance to drive it, would change the mind very quickly, after they changed there pants

[Cobra]

The one on the front of the current Motor mag looks great. With the performance Nissan are going for, it'll be up there with the big three currently on the market, but not sold in Aus. I'd expect very low 7s at the 'ring, and for the R36 GT-R to be the fastest vehicle to be sold in Australia. I'm sorry, but anyone bagging this car needs to remove their head from their ****. Even if it's twice the price of the current GT-R, at $300K+ it'll still be well over $100K cheaper than the best performing Lambo/Ferrari/Mclaren/Porsche on sale in this country, yet its performance will blow them all to smithereens.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

That is freaking ugly mate

People said that about the lamborghini countach in the 70's

But if it does look like this will it no longer be associated with The Skyline badge?
and rather be a supercar slayer be a supercar itself.

IMO supercars are supposed to look like this

[Franco Cozzo]

Its only a concept so it'll be completely different to what the concept looks like.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

People said that about the lamborghini countach in the 70's

But if it does look like this will it no longer be associated with The Skyline badge?
and rather be a supercar slayer be a supercar itself.

IMO supercars are supposed to look like this

R35 already is distanced from the Skyline badge, a shame to some, but gives a clean sheet to build from (The GT-R is still loosly based on the same platform as the V35 however).

I don't understand the "ugly" remark, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It may not be pretty, but, its far from ugly.

[baboon]

That thing looks insane. It would look unusual driving that on normal roads, the thing looks like it should drive in space or something.