Nissan GT-R Successor in Limbo as Electric Supercar Plans Stall

So long, R35

The final R35 Nissan GT-R rolled off the production line in August 2025 after 18 years of production. When it arrived, it was practically a supercar slayer with acceleration times that could scare exotics, coupled with physics-defining handling.

Now that it’s gone, the Z takes the mantle of being Nissan’s flagship sports car. While it’s fun to drive in an old-school way, it’s definitely no GT-R. At least Nissan is hard at work with a successor, right?

We got a taste of that two years ago with the Hyper Force Concept showing during the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. The thing is, development hasn’t exactly been smooth.

Change Course

The Hyper Force Concept was touted as an all-electric spiritual successor to the R35 GT-R. There were bold claims about it, such as having over 1,300 hp, and that its solid-state batteries would keep the car juiced for longer than current battery technology.

Autocar now reports that there is “no clear plan” in building the new halo sports car. Nissan is determined to make it happen, though, targeting a launch sometime in the 2030s. Nissan’s current financial troubles aren’t helping matters, either, although the company says it’s “exploring different routes” for the next-generation GT-R.

Weak EV Sports Car Demand

Another possible reason for the change of course is the weak demand for EV sports cars. Porsche backpedalled on making the 718 Boxster and Cayman EV-only, while Ferrari has allegedly delayed the launch of its second EV. Reception towards the MG Cyberster has been mixed, and the performance EV sector isn’t exactly lighting up the sales charts at the moment.

With that, it’s possible that Nissan could, instead, go hybrid with the future GT-R. Hiroshi Tamura, a longtime Nissan engineer and the project leader of the R35 GT-R, has gone on record saying he would prefer the next model to still come with a combustion engine. It’s not too far from reality given that hybrid performance vehicles are feasible, albeit with varying degrees of success.

At least Nissan is determined to build a successor.