Nissan Japan is making an electric version of the legendary R32 Skyline GT-R

This particular make of the Nissan Skyline may be 34 years old, but the R32 Skyline GT-R is still one of the most vaunted models by petrolheads around, and for good reason. Besides making motorsport history in the early 90s, the legendary car is also a bit of a movie star, featuring in films such as Initial D and Thunderbolt starring Jackie Chan.

Nicknamed Godzilla, the R32 made Japanese motorsport history when it won the Japanese Touring Car Championship for five consecutive years from 1989 to 1993 and winning 29 races in a row.

The R32 also dominated the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1990 to 1992, thanks to its turbocharged straight-six and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that led to superior handling despite the powerful engine. The Australian governing body then decided to ban turbocharging and all-wheel-drive, effectively banning the R32 from racing in future championships.

Now, Nissan Japan are working on an EV prototype, sparked by an idea from one of their own engineers. The employee, who remains unnamed, says: “I want to build a more exciting car by adding the latest electrification technology that I am involved with, to my favourite car.”

Thoughts on the build have been divided so far, from GT-R die hard fans lambasting the idea to wry observations that the build still sports a giant exhaust pipe. However, a lasting question remains: will we be seeing a Nissan GT-R EV on the market in the near future? Time can only tell. Meanwhile, check out the teaser video below, and keep an eye on Nissan Japan’s YouTube channel for more episodes as the project continues to develop.