Internally, the Z and GT-R can be described as the beauty and beast.
Nissan took its time with the smaller of its sports cars. However, the GT-R is more than the defunct 370Z. Godzilla was first produced in December 2007. There is no sign of an R36. The Japanese automaker has already started thinking ahead to at least one generation. Ashwani Gupta, COO of the Japanese automaker, told Top Gear that there would be a major change. The supercar will eventually get rid of the combustion engine, confirming the inevitable.
“It’s too soon to predict when, but it will definitely come [an electric GTR] one day,” said Nissan. Nissan however points out that EV technology is still not ready for this high-performance application. The Z is the same: “At the moment, when we do all of the simulations to electrification on those cars, we don’t have the right technology to determine what is Z and what is GT-R.” These two are not cars; these are our culture.”
Ashwani Gupta described the Z and GT-R respectively as the beauty and beasts, while mentioning that the two performance cars play different roles within the automaker’s lineup. The COO of Nissan stated that their position will not change and that the legendary supercar will continue to be at the top.
In a related matter, Japan’s order books for the GT-R were officially closed for the model year 2022. It is not known if the GT-R will be returning in its R35 form for 2023MY. The twin-turbo V6 monster has been scrapped in Europe because of noise regulations. The car was also withdrawn from sale in Australia on November 1, 2021 when the stricter side impact crash test was implemented.
It is also complicated because the launch of the new Z in Japan was delayed until summer by supply chain problems. It was expected to reach the local market in June. The pricing for the United States is still unknown, so fans are still waiting. The six-cylinder Toyota Supra has just received a six speed manual, which could steal sales away from the Z.