New Nissan GT-R planned for 2017

The next Nissan GT-R won’t make an appearance until at least 2017 and it could be 2018 until the next generation of the firm’s sports car is launched.

Speculative reports have previously claimed that the car will come in 2016 but Nissan’s chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura, told Autocar that it is three to four years away. 

According to Nakamura, Nissan has yet to start on the car’s design, although chassis and drivetrain development is underway. It will retain the essential characteristics of the current model, with a nominally rear-wheel drive set up, four-wheel drive on demand and a front-engined configuration.

NYIAS 2016 update: The most significant Nissan GT-R update revealed in New York

A hybrid powertrain is also on the cards, and it will remain as a stand-alone model with little similarity to other Nissan products

The next GT-R will also retain the current car’s aggressive look, and Nakamura said it could even be more aggressive and distinctive. He is keen to maintain what he described as the GT-R’s “boxy, functional appearance. It shouldn’t be too elegant, and it should be brutal, with a rawness”.

The Vision 2020 concept, revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, will influence the car’s look - but don’t expect a production version of that car. “It contributes to the overall feeling,” said Nakamura. A much-improved interior, more in keeping with the GT-R’s performance status, is a crucial part of the new car’s make up.  

Before the new car appears, the current GT-R will go through one more facelift before it comes to the end of its ten-year lifespan. “We’ve been improving it all the time,” said Nakamura, “and there’s still room to improve.” 

Dan Stevens

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