- Nissan has unveiled an R32 Skyline GT-R transformed to run on battery energy
- The 62-kwh battery was taken from a former Leaf RC race automobile idea
- The objective of the venture was to ship an identical driving sensation to the unique gas-powered automobile
Whether or not Nissan launches its next-generation R36 GT-R with an electrical powertrain stays to be seen, however the automaker has already constructed a minimum of one electrical GT-R.
It is a conversion primarily based on the R32-generation Skyline GT-R of the early Nineties, and it was simply unveiled over the weekend on the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon.
The venture, initiated in early 2023, was pushed by a staff of volunteer engineers at Nissan. It originated from powertrain engineer Ryozo Hiraku’s aspiration to boost the R32 GT-R by incorporating electrification, aiming to protect the automobile’s attract for future generations by way of the combination of EV know-how. Hiraku was additionally answerable for Nissan’s new e-4ORCE system, the electrical all-wheel-drive know-how featured within the Ariya crossover.
In accordance with Nissan, the electrical GT-R ought to ship a driving expertise just like the unique automobile and its twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-6 engine. For the powertrain, an electrical motor rated at 215 hp was put in at every axle. Whereas the mixed energy exceeds the unique automobile’s 276 hp (unofficially round 330 hp), the additional weight of the battery ends in a comparable power-to-weight ratio, Nissan said.
R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R EV conversion
The battery, a 62-kWh unit taken from Nissan’s former Leaf RC race automobile idea, was put in the place the rear seats usually sit. Nissan defined that putting in the battery was the most important problem, because the R32 GT-R’s construction is comparatively compact and lacks massive flat areas to accommodate it. The electrical GT-R weighs about 809 kilos greater than the inventory model, bringing its weight to three,962 kilos.
Different modifications included the set up of bigger 18-inch wheels to accommodate an upgraded brake system borrowed from the present R35 GT-R, together with Öhlins dampers. For the tuning of the all-wheel-drive system, Nissan enlisted Hiroyoshi Kato, one of many unique take a look at drivers for the R32 GT-R, to help with the duty.
R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R EV conversion
Digital screens have been additionally added to enhance the brand new powertrain, and the commonplace 5-speed handbook transmission was changed with paddle shifters linked to an digital system. This technique was programmed to copy the feeling of the temporary jolt drivers usually expertise when participating the clutch of a handbook transmission throughout gear shifts. Moreover, audio system have been put in within the cabin to imitate the sound of the unique inline-6 engine.
Nissan’s Nismo division has, lately, been providing alternative components for traditional GT-Rs to assist hold the vehicles on the street. It’s attainable Nissan might finally supply an EV conversion for the R32 GT-R and its successors, particularly as emissions rules make it more difficult to take care of gas-powered vehicles, together with classics.
Ryozo Hiraku
“Automotive know-how will proceed to evolve, and because it does, some elements of driving might inevitably be misplaced, whereas others need to endure,” Hiraku stated in a press release. “I firmly imagine that the driving pleasure of iconic vehicles just like the R32 GT-R is a legacy price safeguarding for future generations.”
Nissan additionally used Tokyo’s annual tuner fest to showcase the most recent initiatives by college students from its in-house technical faculty in Japan. The spotlight was a Z station wagon primarily based on Nissan’s Stagea efficiency wagon of the 2000s.
