Nissan says its goal is clear: outperform the Porsche 911 where it counts—the Nürburgring
Back in 2008, it was a major moment when Nissan revealed the R35 GT-R had broken the 7:30 barrier at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. That lap time put it ahead of the iconic Porsche 911 and sent shockwaves through Stuttgart. When the next-generation GT-R arrives—whenever and however that happens—it’ll need to pull off a similar feat.
At the New York International Auto Show, Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan USA’s chief product planner, laid out his vision for the future GT-R. “First and foremost, it has to be a truly authentic car,” he said. “If you made a front-wheel-drive EV and called it a GT-R—well, good luck with that. It has to stay true to its heritage, and it needs a Nürburgring lap record to back it up.”
“That’s what gave the GT-R its credibility,” he continued. “It beat the Porsche 911 on its home track. That legacy has to continue.”
That’s a tall order, considering how much faster the 911 has become over the years. Today’s quickest production 911—the GT3 RS—ran a 6:49.328 in 2023. And that’s under the Nürburgring’s updated timing rules, which require a full 12.94-mile lap instead of the shorter 12.8-mile version used in 2008. On the older layout, the GT3 RS clocked an even quicker 6:44.848.
In other words, the next GT-R will have to be blisteringly fast to top that—let alone whatever performance the upcoming turbocharged GT2 RS brings.
Pandikuthira also confirmed the next GT-R will feature some form of electrification. “Big-horsepower cars just won’t meet future emissions standards,” he explained. “So it depends on how quickly battery and motor tech evolve. It might take a few years—but the GT-R will return, no question.”
The wait could be lengthy. Nissan doesn’t have a new GT-R in active development, and typically, the process from concept to production takes about four years. But with new CEO Ivan Espinosa—who describes himself as a “car guy”—championing the GT-R’s return, it’s likely just a matter of time.
Of course, time is something the Porsche 911 is making good use of, continuing to get faster with every new generation. Nissan will need to dig deep to catch up—and surpass it once again.
