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NEWS
SPY PICS: Nissan testing hybrid GT-R
Camouflaged airdam hints at cooling system test for petrol/electric 'Godzilla'Nissan's R36 GT-R appears to be on track for a launch in 2017 – or late 2016 even. And it will arrive with a hybrid-drive system on board, as GT-R ex-program director Kazutoshi Mizuno hinted to motoring.com.au as long ago as 2010.
Since then we've reported that the hybrid GT-R will embrace some styling cues from Nissan's Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo, but the next-generation looks likely to be more an upgrade of the current R35 model rather than a major shift in design – with some of the car's rough edges merely sanded away in favour of the sharper look of the concept car.
The spy photographers at Automedia, who snapped this car, believe it is a mule. But we presume the front airdam fitted is production ready. Deciding the shape of an airdam and its associated slots and scoops is a project usually undertaken away from prying eyes... and in a wind tunnel. Real-world testing with this car suggests few changes indeed from the R35 body in white.
Whatever the case with that, the hybrid GT-R may migrate to the 3.7-litre direct-injected and turbocharged V6 drivetrain adopted for the Infiniti Essence show car that debuted at the Geneva motor show in 2009.
And the GT-R is also anticipated to shed around 180kg to offset the added weight of electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and other hardware associated with the hybrid-drive system. The Infiniti drivetrain package may help there, but Automedia suspects that Nissan engineers will take the carbon-fibre route, replacing heavy sheet metal where possible.
– with Automedia
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