The latest rumour in circulation is that the Nissan GT-R brand will get a hybrid powertrain in 2012 as a 2013 model year. According to Inside Line, the car would use the current 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 plus the battery powered electric drive powertrain in the 2009 Infiniti Essence Concept.
Because of the extra weight brought on by these "green" technologies, the car would have to shed some serious kilos to be considered a worthy sports car, despite its expected total system output of 441kW (600hp). About 324kW / 440hp (detuned from the GT-R's 485hp) would come from the petrol-guzzler while the balance of 118kW (160hp) would be provided by the two electric motors. Even with a strict diet it should still be heavier than the current 1,724kg (3,800 lbs) GT-R.
A hybrid GT-R is expected to achieve 25 - 30 mpg but still perform miracles on a track and straight line drags. How much could a best-of-both-worlds supercar like this be expected to cost? Nothing concrete of course, since this is still just a rumour, but an amount of around US$100,000 is being thrown about.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Infiniti Essense Electric Powertrain for New Nissan GTR
Monday, December 14, 2009
Next Gen GT-R To Be Powered by a 600hp Hybrid System
With the automotive industry lovingly embracing the green movement, sports car makers have no option but to study the possibility of implementing hybrid systems into their machines. Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche – all dominant forces in the field of supercar building – have committed to the cause and pledged reduced emissions in a couple of years.
According to Japan’s Best Car magazine, Nissan – the builder of one of the most feared, respected, and over engineered cars of our time – has also committed to the cause by giving it’s 480hp GT-R the hybrid treatment. For the next R36 model anyway.
The prominent Japanese magazine is saying that the R36 generation GT-R will supplement its 440hp (that’s 40hp down from the current twin-turbo V6 model) petrol engine with an electric motor that could possibly generate up to 160hp. That would take total output up to 600hp. That’s a lot of power and as our source puts it, “if the reports prove to be accurate, Porsche won’t be the only one looking in the rear-view mirror when it comes along.”
