Oh my Godzilla! Nissan has electrified an iconic R32 Skyline GT-R
While enthusiasts await a new generation Nissan GT-R to emerge, the Japanese brand’s unveiled an electrified version of the legendary R32 Skyline GT-R.
Binning the original 2.6-litre twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder RB26 petrol, the car Nissan revealed over the weekend at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon sported a far more advanced dual-motor powertrain.
Producing 160kW/340Nm each, the all-electric show car pumps out a healthy 320kW and 780Nm of torque – a massive step-up on the 206kW and 353Nm the R32 Skyline GT-R mustered when it launched in 1989.
READ MORE: Nissan unveils mad 1000kW wide-body Hyper Force electric concept. The new GT-R?
READ MORE: Will solid state batteries make an electric Nissan GT-R viable?
READ MORE: Nissan plans to roll out solid state batteries by 2028. The new range heroes?
Back then the GT-R won accolades not only for its powertrain (that reportedly produced much more than 206kW), but also its advanced ATTESA E-TS variable all-wheel drive.
Fast forward to 2025 and this dual-motor R32 EV does away with any physical mechanical connection linking either axle and uses complex sensors and software to shuffle torque far faster than the original’s, maximising both traction and agility.
Aside from die-hard enthusiasts screaming at the sacrilege of ditching the iconic turbo RB26, the other issue blunting the all-electric R32 is its excess baggage.
The R32 EV tips the scales at an excessive 1787kg – far more than the original’s 1430kg mass, although around the same as the bloated R35-generation GT-R.
Managing the extra mass, the R32 EV gets bigger brakes that are hidden behind larger 18-inch alloy wheels that neatly replicate the original’s iconic design.
Other changes include a bespoke suspension developed by NISMO that includes trick Ohlins dampers.
Supplying power for the two e-motors is a 62Wh battery sourced from the Nissan Leaf with charging via the fuel filler cap.
Within, there’s new Recaro front seats while engineers have dumped the rear bench.
New tech includes a sound system that replicates the original soundtrack of the RB26 while adopting fake gearshifts that are triggered using a pair of new steering wheel mounted paddles. Cue more pitchforks from Skyline die-hards.
The final change is a new infotainment system that neatly features a home screen that virtually mirrors the original’s dials, air conditioning and sound system.
Despite the amount of work and cost that has gone into the conversion Nissan reassured fans at the Tokyo show that it had no plans to offer the conversion or even produce a small run of converted R32 EVs to customers.
Instead, it’s thought some of the tech might be used on the production R36-generation GT-R that should be based on the wild 1000kW 2023 Hyper Force concept.
