The news is official, shocking, and for some enthusiasts, heartbreaking:
The next-generation Nissan GT-R — the R36 — will NOT have a combustion engine. Not a twin-turbo V6. Not a hybrid. Not even a mild-hybrid system.
It’s going fully electric.
Nissan executives have now confirmed that the era of the gasoline-powered Godzilla is over. The R35’s legendary VR38DETT V6 will not return. There will be no hybrid bridge between eras. Instead, Nissan is going all-in on an EV platform because of one single reason — one insane performance target they say no combustion or hybrid system could ever deliver.
Stick around, because that number changes everything.
The End of the VR38 and the Start of Something Completely New
The R35 GT-R had one of the longest performance car lifespans of the modern era. Born in 2007, it stayed in production for more than 15 years, constantly refined but never fundamentally changed. Its VR38DETT engine became one of the most iconic V6s in history — brutally capable, endlessly tunable, and good for 1,000+ horsepower in the right hands.
But Nissan has decided that the only way forward is electric, and that the GT-R cannot remain competitive at the highest levels of performance while relying on combustion.
Enter the concept car that changed everything: the Nissan Hyper Force.
Unveiled as part of Nissan’s future EV showcase, the Hyper Force isn’t just a design fantasy — it is the direct blueprint for the R36 GT-R. Executives have explicitly stated that its technology, powertrain philosophy, and performance goals are shaping the next GT-R’s development.
And what exactly is that goal?
It’s not 700 horsepower.
It’s not 1,000 horsepower.
It’s not even “quad-motor insanity.”
It’s something even crazier.
The One Number That Forces the GT-R to Go Electric
Nissan’s engineers and executives have revealed that the Hyper Force concept — the foundation for the R36 — is targeting:
Over 1 megawatt of power.
1,341 horsepower.
Let that sink in.
The R36 GT-R is being engineered as a 1,300+ horsepower electric hypercar, designed to fight the likes of the Tesla Model S Plaid, Rimac Nevera, and future electric supercars from Porsche and Ferrari.
Nissan believes that achieving this level of power:
- Is impossible with a twin-turbo V6
- Is impractical with a hybrid system
- Is only deliverable with an EV platform
More importantly, they believe that controlling that much power — putting it down to the pavement — requires EV precision that combustion engines simply can’t match.
Nissan wants the R36 to not just be powerful, but usable, controllable, and repeatable in real performance scenarios.
A 1,300+ horsepower EV with instant torque and advanced torque vectoring can theoretically do things even the R35 never could.
Solid-State Batteries: The Secret Weapon Behind Godzilla’s Evolution
A megawatt-class GT-R cannot exist with today’s lithium-ion battery tech — it’s too heavy, too heat-sensitive, and too limited.
But Nissan is betting heavily on solid-state batteries, a technology they aim to commercialize later this decade.
Solid-state batteries promise:
- Massive power delivery
- Lower weight
- Faster charging
- Higher thermal stability
- Better packaging for performance cars
If Nissan succeeds in bringing these batteries to production, the R36 could become one of the most technologically advanced performance cars ever made — the first true electric hyper-GT.
Why No Hybrid? Nissan Explains the Logic
Many assumed that the R36 would follow a Toyota GR/Ferrari approach: a hybrid system combining electric torque with a combustion engine soundtrack.
But Nissan shut that door firmly.
Here’s why:
1. Weight
Hybrids are heavy. The GT-R already weighs nearly 4,000 lbs. Adding hybrid components would push it into SUV territory.
2. Complexity
Combining a V6, electric motors, and batteries would require massive engineering effort — not feasible for a niche performance car.
3. Power ceiling
Even the wildest hybrid setups hit limits. Nissan wants 1,341 horsepower as a baseline.
4. Regulations
Global emissions rules make a clean-sheet V6 or hybrid increasingly expensive, especially for a low-volume halo car.
5. Future-proofing
An all-EV GT-R ensures longevity in a world where combustion bans are rising.
In short:
Hybrid wasn’t enough. Gas wasn’t enough. Nissan wants something bigger.
What the R36 Will Feel Like: A New Kind of Godzilla
While details are still under wraps, here’s what the R36 is expected to deliver based on Hyper Force info and Nissan statements:
- 1,300+ horsepower dual-motor or quad-motor setup
- Next-gen torque vectoring for supercar-level agility
- Solid-state batteries for lighter weight and brutal power delivery
- Aerodynamics inspired by GT3 race cars
- A body mixed with carbon fiber and next-gen composites
- Active aero and active cooling systems
- A cockpit interface directly influenced by gaming
This isn’t just an electric GT-R.
It is Nissan’s attempt to create a hypercar wearing the GT-R badge.
The Gas GT-R Is Dead — But the Legend Evolves
It’s official:
The days of the VR38 twin-turbo V6 are over.
Godzilla as we knew it is gone.
But what comes next might be even more outrageous:
A 1,341-horsepower electric GT-R engineered to dominate a new era of performance.
Some will mourn the end of combustion.
Others will celebrate the beginning of something even more extreme.
