Source: Written by Christopher DeMorro
Published on December 14th, 2009
Posted in Cars, Hybrid-electric EVs
Published on December 14th, 2009
Posted in Cars, Hybrid-electric EVs
In many circles, the Nissan GT-R is referred to as simply “Godzilla”, and with good reason. Cranking out 480 horsepower out of a twin-turbo V6, Nissan’s halo car is a track monster and a winner of many hearts and minds. But can it ever be green?
Maybe. Rumor has it that Nissan is considering a hybrid version of the GT-R that will provide better fuel economy without sacrificing performance. Say what?
This is just an unsubstantiated rumor for now… but hey, why not? Ferrari is doing it, and so is Rolls Royce. Why not a hybrid Godzilla? Supposedly, the plan is to drop the twin-turbo V6 engines horsepower by 40 ponies to 440, and then adding a 160 horsepower electric engine. This would bring total output to 600 horsepower, though the weight of an extra engine and battery will negate some of that horsepower.
The GT-R is the successor to Nissan’s popular Skyline model, and only just hit the markets last year, so don’t expect a hybrid Godzilla too soon. The rumor might also be untrue, because most people who buy a GT-R aren’t trying to save the world… they’re trying to go fast. Still, the GT-R does deliver respectable gas mileage for a 480 horsepower car with a top speed of 193 MPH.
The GT-R gets about 21 MPG on the highway and 16 in the city for a combined average of around 18 MPH. Not bad, but how much better could an electric engine make it? How much better would it have to be to make the premium price worth it? At $80,000 it already costs a pretty penny… but compared to other super cars, it’s already a bargain. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens
