Grab Your Pitchforks: Nissan Engineers Create An All-Electric R32 GT-R
Some of you will be furious to learn that Nissan has EV-converted one of the most beloved JDM cars of all time. The automaker plans to show an all-electric R32 Skyline concept at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon show in Japan, but Nissan itself wasn’t behind the build.
A team of engineers volunteered for the project, which kicked off in March 2023. We don’t have any details about its specs or performance yet, but the automaker has documented the build on its social media channels. The videos posted there show two electric motors, which likely means the R32 retains all-wheel drive, and the cabin has been reworked to allow more room for the battery packs.
The older Skylines are smaller and lighter than today’s GT-R, so it will be interesting to see how the team integrated heavy batteries with its design. The car lost its back seat to make room for those batteries, but it wasn’t the most spacious seating area to begin with.
Though this is technically a hobby car built by Nissan engineers, the automaker has teased an electric next-gen GT-R, including building the Hyper Force concept, which combined two electric motors for 1,341 horsepower. But, while the performance will almost certainly be there, an electric GT-R would lack the sound of a screaming inline-six that has made them instantly recognizable even before they’re seen.
[Images: Nissan]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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