Godfather of Godzilla Wants Nissan to Make the R36 GT-R Run on Dinosaurs
By Hugo Mattson September 7, 2025
Hiroshi Tamura, the "Godfather of the GT-R," wants R36 to possess raw combustion spirit, even in a world to come that will be electric.
The Nissan leadership is tilting towards hybrid powertrains as a stepping stone between compliance demands and the performance heritage of the GT-R.
The R36 will probably arrive sometime around 2030, burdened with having to keep up with evolving technology while trying to be loyal to its Godzilla heritage.
Tamura's Dream of the Future
The R35 GT-R reached its end in 2025 after nearly two decades on the production line, a remarkable reign that gave enthusiasts one of the most legendary performance cars of the contemporary age. Its hand-assembled twin-turbo V6 and continuous engineering development won it the standard for supercar speed on a budget. Since the R36 is being developed in secret, Hiroshi Tamura, or the "Godfather of the GT-R," has laid out his own vision for what's to come. For him, what follows for the GT-R will need to keep the noise and character of combustion, a raw note no regulation or new technology can readily imitate. His is not policy, but it is what many loyalists fear to lose in transition.
Nissan's Balancing Act
As Tamura talks to the heart, Nissan executives are playing hardball. Execs have cited hybridization as the most viable option for the R36, that it is not possible to have an all-gas-powered version in today's regulatory climate. Plugged-in technology might enable the GT-R to satisfy global emissions rules without sacrificing the acceleration and stamina its badge promises. A purely electric GT-R is not impossible, but the state of the art would make it difficult to maintain track performance levels—something that Nissan acknowledges to be at the heart of the car.
2023 Nissan Hyper Force Concept is a Teaser of what an Electric GT-R could look like.
It then leaves the R36 with a dilemma. On one hand stand hobbyists and icons such as Tamura demanding the thrill of combustion; against it are regulators and engineering constraints pushing the GT-R towards electricity. What will emerge is a compromise—a hybrid supercar that tries to keep the essence of "Godzilla" but begs for the demands of late-2020s driving conditions.
Final Note
The R36 will arrive later this decade, heavier than any of them. Nissan owes itself to make the R36 not just adhere to the standards of modern regulations but to provide the raw, visceral excitement that has characterized the GT-R throughout the centuries. Whatever propulsion source it will use – fuel, electrons, or some combination of the two – its task will be to feed Godzilla's bellow.