Current GT-R to solider on for another five years; NISMO no closer for Oz either

Nissan has ruled out a next-generation GT-R until at least 2020, by which time the Japanese car-maker’s halo performance car will be more than a decade old.

Responding to our report that the replacement for Nissan’s current supercar, released in 2009, has been delayed until 2018, Nissan Australia managing director Richard Emery said a successor is unlikely to appear this decade.

“To be honest the company is not even talking about it,” he said. “We are close to the life cycle in terms of cars now and in the future. In terms of direct conversation around GT-R, it’s not on the horizon.

“It’s certainly not 2018, and I can’t see it even in 2019. It’s not on the product plan list for that period.”

Tokyo show’s Nissan 2020 Vision Gran Turismo Concept was widely touted as offering design hints to the next GT-R, which had been expected in 2017.

“NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 Vision Gran Turismo gives hints as to how a supercar of the future might look,” said the company last month.

Made reality by a team of young designers at Nissan Design Europe in London with input from an advanced engineering team based at Nissan Technical Centre in Japan, the concept brought to life a virtual racer created for PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 6 video game.

According insiders, however, development of the new GT-R has been delayed following a halt in production of the current model between now and mid-2016 to meet more stringent US crash regulations.

Our sources said reinforcements of the roof and certain body panels, plus interior trim changes, will push back production of the new GT-R until 2018.

If it doesn’t appear until 2020, the next GT-R’s gestation period will be even longer than that of the existing R35, which was first previewed in concept from in 2001 – four years before the GT-R Proto follow-up concept emerged in 2005, six years before the production version debuted at the 2007 Tokyo show and eight years before it went on sale Down Under in 2009.

Meantime, Emery said Nisan Australia was no closer to solving the homologation issues that will prevent a three-model MISMO performance car line-up being launched here before 2016.

“It’s not a done deal, but 2016 is logical place to start,” he said. “We are quite advanced on product decisions, and some of the engineering issues to relate to ADRs.

“I would have loved to have done it by now, but just at the moment we have a few hurdles. As to what models we will take, we haven’t made that decision at this time.”

As we reported in August, when NISMO does finally launch Down Under it won’t be with a three-model range as originally envisaged, but via a single model with other cars to join later.

The 447kW GT-R NISMO is vying with the 260kW 370Z NISMO for the honour of flying the flag for the sub-brand in Australia first, with 160kW JUKE NISMO RS expected to come later.

Image:Best Car