The Hyper Force concept features a stunningly angular body, and a whopping 1,000 kW of power.
Nissan has recently completed its Japan Mobility Show lineup with the reveal of its Hyper Force concept car. And as much as the Japanese automaker has refrained from stating it anywhere (with it even going so far as to pixelate the obvious red and white badging), what you see here might well be a preview of what the next GT-R might be.
Rather tantalisingly too, there is late breaking news for Nissan to actually have intentions to continue offering GT-R in its future lineup. The Japanese automaker apparently has plans to offer a full range of models from small EVs to performance cars in a bid to give customers the same choice as in the combustion era, and an all-electric iteration of its flagship supercar therefore could potentially go on sale by the end of the decade.
So with that in mind, what exactly could be expected from the R36 GT-R? Well, going by the Hyper Force at least, the next all-electric Godzilla will likely pack a mean punch. That is as this particular concept is already touting to feature an EV powertrain that can output as much as 1,000 kW (1,341 hp) for ‘precise and rapid acceleration’.
An advanced form of Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology and a lightweight carbon fibre body has also been among the technical highlights of this new concept, as well as the use of solid-state batteries. This Hyper Force further promises an optimal weight balance too and while not explicitly mentioned, the heads up display within does show a 320 km/h figure which could plausibly be interpreted as being a hint at its top speed.
And while on the topic of its interior, Nissan has really turned up the cheek on not calling this a GT-R, with it instead incorporating two driving modes on this concept that just happen to be termed ‘GT’ for Grand Touring and ‘R’ for Racing. A further implied nods to this being a foreshadowing to its next flagship supercar too comes from the fact that the graphical user interface on the barrage of screens within (which changes colour and display according to mode) is designed in collaboration with Polyphony Digital Inc — the video game studio behind Gran Turismo and incidentally also the same people who designed the multi-function display GUI for the current iteration Godzilla.
Rather interestingly as well, the link between the real world and the virtual one doesn’t just stop at the graphics developed by a video game studio. This is as apparently the Hyper Force can also be converted into essentially a sim racing rig, whereby drivers when parked up can use a special helmet with blind visors to actually compete in virtual racing experiences. By using skeleton visors for augmented reality on the other hand, drivers can complete against their own, friends’ or even professional drivers’ digital ghosts on a circuit, allowing users to safely push their driving skills on real-world tracks without having to actually drive on the said circuit.
Now if all that is a bit too space age already, just wait till the exterior details, as the Hyper Force features what Nissan dubs as plasma actuators which supposedly suppresses air detachment to maximise grip and minimise inner-wheel lift during cornering. This extremely angular concept car also nets butterfly doors and lightweight forged carbon wheels, which are then topped off with an almost Bosozoku-style massive front splitter and rear spoiler. This concept features a rather familiar set of quad-circular tail lights too, just in the off chance that the GT-R connection still hasn’t been firmly hammered home yet.
Touted as an all-electric high-performance supercar aiming to deliver the ultimate in driving pleasure while also offering high environmental performance and comfort for daily use, it remains to be seen how much of the Hyper Force concept will actually make it into the production GT-R. Though while the exterior and interior will likely be toned down, the one aspect Nissan could foreseeably retain in its future Godzilla is likely the VR helmet gimmick.
