Nissan transforms iconic R32 Skyline GT-R

The global carmaker thought they’d brought a classic into the modern era but fans slammed them for doing the unthinkable.

Nissan has brought one of its classic performance cars into the modern era, sparking controversy among car enthusiasts.

The Japanese company ripped the petrol engine and manual gearbox from the timeless sportscar’s heart and turned it electric.

The R32 EV is a project Nissan has been working on since March 2023.

At a glance, the R32 EV could almost pass as a standard Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R but there’s more than meets the eye.

The R32 EV looks identical to its petrol-powered donor (Picture: Supplied)

Under the hood, the team ripped out the 2.6-litre twin-turbo engine and five-speed manual transmission, replacing them with a pair of electric motors that make 160kW and 340Nm each.

One issue that comes with transforming a petrol car into an EV is figuring out where to place the enormous battery.

The team at Nissan had to remove the Skyline R32’s rear seats to fit a 62kWh battery that was taken from the Nissan Leaf NISMO race car.

The rear seats needed to be removed to fit the 62kWh battery (Picture: Supplied)

Thanks to its massive battery and electrical components, the R32 EV weighs 1797kg which is 370kg more than the original.

Massive brakes and monoblock calipers from a R35 GT-R were sourced to ensure optimal stopping power despite its weight.

The carmaker claims the team tuned the electric motor outputs to match the original R32 GT-R’s torque-to-weight ratio.

18-inch wheels that closely resembles the 16-inch wheels fitted on the R32 GT-R (Picture: Supplied)

Further, the team developed a factory-inspired 18-inch wheel that closely resembles the 16-inch alloys fitted to the R32 GT-R.

A NISMO Sports suspension kit with Öhlins dampers also assists the R32 EV to handle better than its petrol-powered donor.

The EV version features a sound system which replicates the sound of the RB26, while also adopting a fake gear shift program triggered by paddles on the back of the steering wheel.

The R32 EV adopts a fake gear shifting program. (Picture: Supplied)

The car was built by Nissan as a tech demonstrator. (Picture: Supplied)

Online, Nissan’s electric R32 Skyline GT-R divided opinions.

While some car enthusiasts praised the build as “excellent” others have slammed the project for “ruining a perfectly good car”.

Burn it

— Lebowski (@LebowskiXP75) January 13, 2025

Despite backlash on social media, Nissan has no plans to commercialise the R32 EV or offer any conversion kit.

The intended purpose for this project was to provide valuable insights to the team who has been working on it since March 2023.

It also prepares enthusiasts for the possibility of an electric successor to the outgoing R35 generation Nissan GT-R.

The 2023 Nissan Hyper Force concept car points to a new GT-R.

The brand teased fans with a concept car suggesting how that might look in the Nissan Hyper Force, a wildly futuristic show car that promised Ferrari-beating performance in an electric package.

Nissan has hinted that a production version of the Hyper Force could have next-gen solid state batteries capable of delivering impressive performance.

Originally published as Nissan transforms iconic R32 Skyline GT-R