Nissan GT-R Product Chief Doesn’t Know What Its Successor Will Be Like

We’ve been waiting for news about the next-gen GT-R since, like, forever, but Nissan isn’t going to open its cards just yet; at least that’s what the model’s chief product specialist says.

Hiroshi Tamura is the man in charge of the R35 GT-R since the car was a mere concept, so if you’re looking for information about its successor, he’s basically your guy.

In a chat with Top Gear, Tamura-san was asked if the new 2020 GT-R Nismo is the last hurrah for the R35.

“Is it final? Hmmm,” Tamura-san says. “The traditional, conservative answer is ‘I cannot tell you’… but I don’t know what our next mission will be, our next assignment.”

Also Read: Nissan GT-R “Custodian” Vows Next-Gen Will Be “What The Customers Want”

Sounds like Nissan has still to decide what the next GT-R will be then, which is a little disheartening. But the latest 2020 update also certified the R35 GT-R for the upcoming emissions regulations, meaning that there’s the automaker still has plenty of time to make up its mind. And since the waiting list for the current model has stretched to over 18 months, why hurry?

“The simple answer is ‘why not try for a model year 2022 or 2023 [GT-R]?’”, Tamura-san says. Then, he places his hand flat on his chest. “In my heart, we’re already kicking off options for the next step. We already have the feedback.”

The current Godzilla has been on the market since December, 2007. That’s 11 and half years, which is extraordinary for any car these days, never mind a performance coupe that’s facing stiff competition.