Is the next-gen Nissan GT-R an 800+ horsepower hyper-hybrid?

By Joe Mahan March 15, 2014

next gen nissan gt r an 800 horsepower hyper hybrid 2016 r3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hybrid cars are not for those simply wishing to sip gas and save polar bears. Recently, hybrid drivetrains have been also used to create absolute performance beasts.

An image from an unnamed Japanese magazine, which included a rendering of the GT-R R36 and a few important specs leaked to 7tune recently. The unnamed magazine guessed that the new R36 will have 580 horsepower and an extra 250 hp from a regenerative KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) drivetrain. Now that would be one gargantuan horsepower monster.

580 horsepower plus 250 might sound like magical numbers but they really aren’t so far off. McLaren, along with Porsche and Ferrari, has already proven such power possible. So it would only seem logical that Nissan will be the next to utilize electrons.

Legends like the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, and LaFerrari are already going down in automotive history. These hyper hybrids may be the first to cross eco with mental, but they certainly won’t be the last.

The folks over at Japanese Mag have thoughtfully surmised that Nissan might include a hybrid drivetrain in its next Godzilla. It would only make sense to add electric powertrain components to the GT-R, as Nissan is virtually EV obsessed. The hard part with hyper-hybridizing will be keeping the GT-R at the same relatively reasonable price point.

CarScoops believes Nissan’s Executive Vice President Andy Palmer, strongly hinted at the likeliness of the GT-R having “some form of hybridization on the next generation of the car (R36).”

Who knows; Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury arm, could even include a hybrid drivetrain in its upcoming four-door GT-R-powered model.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Joe Mahan is an intern at Digital Trends working in the Cars section. He is currently a Junior at the University of Portland…

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