Good news for petrolheads as Nissan’s Nismo division is developing a standalone sportscar set to arrive before the end of the decade. The model is expected to be fitted with a hybrid powertrain and will be offered in Japan, Europe, the UK, and the US, likely serving as an indirect replacement for the GT-R.
The news about the sportscar was shared by Takao Katagiri, Nissan Nismo CEO. Speaking to Autocar, the CEO revealed they are going to introduce “a very exciting model” under the Nismo brand, adding that the UK market is “very special” for the brand. Katagiri said: “There is a very important vision in Europe for Nissan. It’s around the heart of this new model”.
Read: Nissan Closes Order Books For 2022 GT-R In Japan, Remains Coy On R35’s Future
Nissan Z with Nismo parts from SEMA
The yet unnamed model will be Nissan’s only sportscar in Europe, as the GT-R was discontinued earlier than in other regions, while the new Nissan Z is not available in the Old Continent due to the strict emission regulations. Thankfully though, Nissan will also bring it to the US as confirmed by Nismo’s CEO.
While Nismo wasn’t specific in terms of the underpinnings, it is believed that the sportscar will use a hybrid powertrain. Katagiri spoke about a “combination” of hybrid and EV launches for the future. However, high-ranked Nissan officials previously said that performance-focused EVs should use solid-state battery technology which is still years away from production. A pure ICE powertrain simply wouldn’t comply with Europe’s emission regulations so a hybrid sportscar is the only viable option for the near future, paving the way for EV-only proposals later on.
Before a fully electric sportscar arrives, Nissan will launch more mainstream EVs, expanding its range next to the Leaf and the Ariya. Among them will be the new generation of the Nissan Micra, set to adopt a crossover supermini bodystyle, sharing the CMF-BEV architecture with the upcoming Renault 5.
