The next-generation of Nissan’s GT-R will come with petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain sometime in the year of 2018, according to a new report by American website Inside Line.
The American website said Nissan had plans to launch the next Nissan GT-R hybrid sports coupe in 2015, but the company delayed the new model due to GT-R chief Kazutoshi Mizuno’s heath concerns.
The first-generation Nissan GT-R hybrid sports coupe was launched in 2007 and since then it received only some very minor facelifts.
As per the report, GT-R aims to join an increasing number of sports cars to reap the benefits of petrol-electric hybrid technology to provide potential buyers with more power and greater efficiency.
Emerging reports also suggest that until the development of the next-generation GT-R Mk2, Nissan will pay heed to other hybrids, such as the Porsche 918 Spyder. Porsche Hybrid will reportedly be capable of sprinting from zero to 100kmph in around three seconds and delivering great fuel efficiency.
The other hybrid vehicle which Nissan GT-R hybrid will be closely paying heed to is the next-generation Honda NSX, which will come equipped with a mid-mounted V6 accompanied by three electric motors. One of the three motors will be for dual-clutch transmission, while the other two will be for sending torque to the front wheels that will help deliver enhanced handling.
In the meantime, the current GT-R will receive a significant facelift in terms of styling and mechanics. The updates will be more cosmetic along with some performance tweaks, which will reportedly take the vehicle a notch higher than where it stands today. The updated version of the current GT-R will break covers sometime in 2013.
