Nissan Created This Electric R32 Skyline GT-R to Closely Resemble the Original Model
It resembles a GT-R. It has the unmistakable sound of a GT-R. And it seemingly performs like a GT-R—even in the absence of an RB26.
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There may still be hope for old, iconic performance cars when fossil fuels run out, and Nissan Motors’s latest one-off build attempts to show what’s possible. Those who’ve been paying attention will be no stranger to classic car EV conversions but Nissan Motors’s “R32 EV,” a purely electric vehicle that looks and even attempts to drive and sound like an R32 Skyline GT-R, is one of the first to come from a big name automaker.
Unveiled at this week’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the R32 EV was built as a passion project by a small group of Nissan Motors engineers in Japan. The goal was to preserve as much of the R32 experience for future generations, generations that may not have access to gasoline, even if they’d like to.
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The R32 EV’s performance was carefully calibrated to replicate that of the gas-powered original. In lieu of an RB26, the R32 EV is powered by two electric motors capable of making 215 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque each, but tuned to match the old car’s torque-to-weight ratio, taking into account the fact that the R32 EV is 816 pounds heavier. Power comes from a 62-kWh battery lifted from the Leaf Nismo RC02 racer placed where the rear seats used to be.
Torque distribution and delivery were also designed to replicate the OG Skyline’s legendary ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system, albeit with even quicker response and precision. Nissan Motors even brought on one of the master drivers who worked on the original R32 GT-R, Hiroyoshi Kato, to help fine tune this one.
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