Nissan's Next-Generation GT-R May Have A Hybrid Powertrain

That's not to say the model will go soft. In fact, the Japanese automaker may be eying the Porsche 918 or McLaren P1 as performance targets.

AutoGuide cites Matt McCulloh, co-founder of the North American GT-R Owners Club (and the first American to own a Nissan GT-R NISMO, apparently) as the expert on the subject. The next-gen GT-R, which is expected to be a 2020 model, will not only boast a hybrid engine but will have an even racier profile. McCulloh, like other observers, thinks the 2020 GT-R may look something like the Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo that was unveiled last fall, while McCulloh estimates that the car will sell in the $150,000 to $200,000 range (up from the $102,000 it sells for now). Nissan North America representatives didn't respond to a request for comment from Autoblog on Wednesday.

Nissan, which introduced the GT-R in 2007, showed off the 2017 version at the New York Auto Show earlier this month. The new model boasts a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 with increased performance, delivering 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque.

Meanwhile, Tony Palo of Texas's T1 Race Development has already taken a GT-R well into supercar territory. Earlier this week, Japan's Motorhead magazine ran a video showing his supertuned GT-R churning out almost 2,200 horsepower on the dyno (Palo says it can do more). This beast has also hit more than 379 km per hour in a half-mile run.