Nissan in March announced plans to turn an R32-generation Skyline GT-R into an electric car under a project known as R32 EV.
The automaker last week showed the car that will serve as the donor for the project in a video posted to social media. The car appears to be a relatively clean example of an R32 in the car’s hero color of Gunmetal Gray.
Nissan said the project was the idea of an engineer who joined the automaker as a GT-R fan.
“I want to build a more exciting car by adding the latest electrification technology that I am involved with to my favorite car,” the engineer said in a statement.
【R32EV】 vol.3
EVコンバージョンするR32型スカイラインGT-Rの現状の姿をお届けします。#GTR #R32EV pic.twitter.com/Myj5mfLnEe— 日産自動車株式会社 (@NissanJP) April 6, 2023
Nissan hasn’t said what that electrification will entail, however. No statistics for power or battery size have been released.
The R32, built between 1989 and 1994, was the first GT-R to feature the legendary 2.6-liter turbo-6 known as the RB26DETT. Thanks to twin turbochargers and a sturdy iron block, the engine could be tuned to reliably deliver much bigger numbers than its 276-hp rating. That official rating is widely accepted as an understated figure, with Nissan only quoting it due to a gentleman’s agreement between Japanese automakers at the time to limit power to the 276-hp figure.
Nissan is known to be planning a successor to the current R35-generation GT-R, though it isn’t clear whether the R32 EV project is linked in anyway to that car. The R35 was just updated for 2024 so the successor, the R36, is likely still a few years away.
It’s possible Nissan could eventually offer an EV conversion for the R32 GT-R and the car’s successors. Nissan’s Nismo division in recent years has been offering replacement parts for classic GT-Rs to help keep the cars on the road. The company even offers a full restoration service that involves stripping the car down to its bare body shell. Other automakers have already explored EV conversion kits, including Ford, Mini, and Volkswagen.
