The R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R is a JDM icon. Despite never officially being available in the United States, kids across the country fell in love with the high-tech sports coupe thanks to video games such as Gran Turismo and the popularity of the Initial D anime and manga.
The R32 GT-R debuted in 1989, packing a twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-six. Due to a gentleman’s agreement among Japanese automakers at the time, Nissan listed the power output as 276 horsepower, but the actual figure was reportedly higher. The car also had an all-wheel-drive system that was sophisticated for the time. The GT-R proved to be a world-beater in Group A class racing, resulting in the Australian media dubbing the car “Godzilla.” Now, the company is doing something very different with this iconic machine.
Nissan Builds An Electric GT-R
A team of volunteer Nissan engineers took on the challenge of converting an R32 Skyline GT-R into an electric vehicle. The work started in March 2023, and Nissan has been chronicling the work on its Japanese social media channels. The public will get to see this machine at the Tokyo Auto Salon, running from January 10-12.
Nissan isn’t revealing any technical specs about the electric Skyline yet, but the teaser videos offer some intriguing details. For example, there are two electric motors – one at the rear and the other under the hood. This setup means the converted vehicle is still all-wheel drive. The battery appears to replace the rear seats, judging from the pack’s location in the cabin.
Anyone looking at this R32 would think it’s a pristine example of a stock GT-R. However, opening the fuel filler reveals the charging port. While there are no interior photos, one teaser indicates that a fresh pair of Skyline-branded sport seats are inside. We expect the electric R32 GT-R to be a one-off project from Nissan because it’s a long-term project for volunteer engineers. The company appears to be showing what’s theoretically possible from EV conversions rather than creating a new product to sell.
The Future Of The Nissan GT-R
This project’s timing raises an eyebrow because there are ongoing reports about the next-gen GT-R being an EV. The current version is finally retiring after an epic 17-year production run. The rumors suggest the future GT-R would use Nissan’s solid-state batteries, which have better energy density and quicker charging than existing packs. However, the company doesn’t plan to have this technology ready until 2028, so a new GT-R is still several years away.
The Nissan Hyper Force concept might preview the automaker’s plan for the future. This sharply styled show car had a pair of electric motors making a total of 1,341 horsepower. Active front grille shutters and an adjustable rear wing created downforce for sticking the vehicle to the ground.
TopSpeed’s Take
This project looks great. The R32 GT-R is already a fantastic machine, and we can’t wait to see what a small team of engineers can do to this one. How much power could the pair of electric motors make?
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