It’s been more than a year since Nissan closed the order books for the R35 GT-R. The sports car survived nearly 18 years, with production of the North American model ending in October 2024. A new one is on the way, though, with the automaker revealing just this week that the R36 is in the early stages of development.
The car is still several years from launching, but Nissan can’t keep quiet about it. Executives have already revealed that the car will likely feature some form of electrification, ride on a new chassis, and will have a possible reveal before the end of the decade.
The supercar space has changed a lot since the R35 debuted, upending the era’s natural order and putting legends like Ferrari and Lamborghini on notice. We’ll see if the R36 has the same effect, but until the full debut, we will have to piece some things together.
This is everything we know about the upcoming GT-R so far.
What Will Nissan Call It?
Photo by: Robin Trajano | Motor1
The GT-R that Nissan began selling in the United States in 2009 served as a successor to the Skyline GT-R. It was codenamed the R35, and we don’t expect that name to change with the arrival of the R36. The Godzilla nickname should stick around, too, and we will undoubtedly see GT-R Nismo variants down the line.
The GT-R name has come and gone several times throughout Nissan’s history, first appearing on a Skyline in the late 1960s for a few years. It wouldn’t be until the 1990s that the GT-R would become the legendary nameplate we know today.
What Will It Look Like?
R36 Nissan GT-R Rendering By Motor1
Photo by: Theophilus Chin | Motor1
We don’t expect the next-gen GT-R to stray too far from the previous car’s styling, but it should adopt many of the company’s modern design cues. Our rendering gives the coupe a smooth, modern front-end design with slim lighting elements reminiscent of concepts like the Epoch and Evo sedans.
Keeping the iconic rounded quad taillight treatment, our GT-R rendering modernizes the look with slim lighting elements and a light bar that stretches the width of the trunklid. Another hallmark of the GT-R remains: the quad tailpipes.
Inside, we imagine the car will have a driver-focused interior with screens for the driver’s display and infotainment. We are holding out hope that the car will have an assortment of physical buttons and switches.
What Platform Will It Ride On?
Nissan has said that the next GT-R must have a new chassis, but it’s unclear if it will be unique to the GT-R. The previous R35 rode on Nissan’s Premium Midship platform, an evolution of the company’s Front Midship architecture that underpins several Nissan and Infiniti models, including the Nissan Z.
What Powertrain Will It Have?
Photo by: Robin Trajano | Motor1
The next-generation GT-R will likely utilize a version of Nissan’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 that powered the previous car, except it will have some form of electrification—for emissions regulations—and a range of other improvements. It won’t be the exact same engine, and these changes should increase its efficiency and output.
The VR38DETT made 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque in the 2024 GT-R. Nissan’s updates could increase its output. If that’s the case, adding an electric motor could deliver well over an extra 100 hp, pushing the next-gen GT-R’s output to around 700 hp or more.
A GT-R Nismo could make even more than that. The 2024 Nismo produced 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it reached 800 hp. The next-gen Nismo should have a 0-60 time in the mid 2.0-second range. The 600-hp GT-R already does it in 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of over 190 miles per hour.
When Will The New GT-R Debut?
Nissan executives have said that we should see the new GT-R break cover before the end of the decade, but it is unclear exactly when production will begin. CEO Ivan Espinosa recently told us that the “we are actually working” on the new GT-R already. Even with the car in early development, though, we probably won’t hear much about the next GT-R until at least 2028.
How Much Will It Cost?
The next-generation GT-R will likely cost in the mid-$100,000 range. The 2024 GT-R had a starting price of $122,885, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the next-gen GT-R’s price started closer to $150,000.
We expect the Nismo to start well above $200,000. The last GT-R Nismo had a starting price of $228,995, with the GT-R T-Spec splitting the difference at $142,995. The next-gen version should have a similar trim lineup.
