Is this the R36 Nissan GT-R?
Nissan has released another of its Hyper concept cars at the Japan Mobility Show, this one a potential precursor to the next gen GT-R. Called the Hyper Force, it’s clearly channelling a GT-R vibe, particularly at the rear with that spoiler and quartet of round lights.
Like the other Hyper concepts revealed in the lead up to the show, the Force is electric. By rolling out five EV concepts, Nissan says it is displaying its ‘ability to envision a wide range of future customer needs and lifestyles’, and to ‘enrich people’s lives with innovation and excitement’.
Nissan president and CEO Makoto Uchida said ‘the EVs symbolise our future of creating a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world for everybody without compromising on passions and dreams.’
Each of the Hyper car concepts has a specific buyer in mind and the Force is ‘designed for racing enthusiasts and gamers who crave the adrenaline rush of the racetrack but are also eco-conscious’
1000kW GT-R with no emissions?
The Force has a hypothetical powertrain at this point, using an all-solid-state battery (ASSB) that would help it produce 1000kW. Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology is employed which, along with a lightweight carbon body, promises ‘enhanced cornering and exceptional handling’.
Nissan sees ASSB tech as a game changer. By 2028 the company aims to launch an EV with an in-house developed ASSB. Nissan says solid state batteries have the potential for energy densities approximately twice that of conventional lithium-ion units, significantly shorter charging time due to superior charge/discharge performance, and lower cost realised by using less expensive materials. With reduced weight and size, ASSB would be a better fit for a sportscar than current lithium-ion tech. A production version of the Hyper would be a good way to showcase such new technology.
Race inspired design
The exterior was said to be developed together with the NISMO racing team. Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for Global Design for Nissan Motor Corporation, told us that the wing was developed by the engineering department, rather than the design team, to create the necessary downforce. He called the Force a wonderful collaboration with the R&D department. “Certain parts of the car we are teasing, we are having a good time with the design. Some things are not so unreal however, like the management of wind.” On that, the Force has active aero elements with canards extending from the bumper and vents opening on the front guards.
Albaisa talks of Le Mans cars as an influence, seen in the shape of the wraparound glass house and the single wiper on the screen. But there are hints of the Skyline Super Silhouette race car from the early 1980s in the shape.
And also from the font used for the tech specs down the side. Where these read 4-valve DOHC RS Turbo on the racer, the Force boosts a 1000kW, ASSB and eForce. Interestingly, the Force’s red and silver badge on its nose looks like a pixelated GT-R logo.
Albaisa says the Hyper concepts, from a design perspective, form an ‘electrified offensive strike, our vision is to have a daring move forward’ and the company is very much focused on EV and e-Power technology for it future. While these Hyper concepts don’t foretell of new models per se, it’s not hard to see the Punk as some future take on the Juke, the Urban as an evolution of Qashqai, the Adventure a far off X-Trail while the Tourer could be a new Elgrand. And it’s not hard to see a GT-R morphing from the Force at some point.
