Nissan Sets New GT-R Direction with Hybrid V6 Plan and Fresh Chassis Before 2030

The next Nissan GT-R is no longer tied to the old formula, even if one core piece survives. During the 2026 New York International Auto Show, Ponz Pandikuthira said the future R36 will sit on a completely new chassis, while the engine bay keeps a link to the outgoing car through a revised VR38DETT architecture.

Production of the R35 ran from December 2007 until August 2025, a long stretch for a performance model with only gradual technical changes underneath. Nissan now wants the replacement to move in another direction. Speaking to The Drive, Pandikuthira described the incoming setup as a mostly new powertrain rather than a simple carryover.

The combustion side is still central. Nissan plans major internal work around the twin-turbo V6. Different cylinder heads were mentioned, and different pistons, too. The source also points toward further revisions around the injection side, even if no full engineering sheet has been released yet.

Electrification enters the program as part of the package. The company wants the next GT-R sold globally, and this decision is tied directly to regulatory pressure. The previous car already faced limits in Europe. Sales of the R35 stopped in the European Union and the United Kingdom in March 2022, not because of emissions rules, but because tightening noise regulations made compliance difficult.

Age also played a role. Demand had dropped, and Nissan decided the cost of keeping the old platform legal no longer made financial sense. For the new generation, the exhaust system is being shaped around those requirements from the beginning.

Transmission changes are expected too, although no official gearbox specification was named. The current R35 uses a rear-mounted BorgWarner transaxle, a layout chosen in part for the 54:46 weight distribution. Over time, the GR6 unit received repeated hardware and software updates aimed at smoother operation and better durability.

A different supplier is now being discussed. Tremec’s TR-9080 dual-clutch transaxle fits several recent high-performance applications, including the Chevrolet Corvette C8, the Maserati MCPura, and the Ford Mustang GTD. In the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC, Ford uses a front-mounted Tremec unit with seven forward ratios.

Nissan also knows what benchmark sits ahead. The future GT-R will enter a market where hybrid rivals already move fast. One reference named in the discussion was the upcoming Grand Sport X, described as the E-Ray replacement, with 721 horsepower and 665 pound-feet, or 902 Newton-meters.

Pandikuthira said firm announcements linked to the R36 are expected in 2028.