Next Nissan GT-R to use Le Mans V6 engine

Future Nissan GT-Rs will likely use a successor to the current twin-turbo V6 engine in Nissan’s 2015 LMP1 contender.

Speaking to TopGear.com, Ben Bowlby - the brains behind Nissan’s radical Le Mans prototype - confirmed that a version of the twin-turbo V6 used to power the 1250bhp hybrid will feature in the GT-R.

“The 3.0-litre V6 is a sort of god-child of the true, road-going GT-R,” Ben told TG. “It’s a direct injection engine, and the combustion technology, and integration of turbo and intake system within the head design, is all very interesting and highly applicable to the road.

“If it was a crazy engine - super light with a short life - the reality is that it wouldn’t be applicable. But it revs to the same as the road-going car - 6,500rpm - and is truly an early ancestor of what will be a future Nissan GT-R engine.”

He explained how racing has helped fast-track the development of this unit, which is proving to be one of the most reliable components on the LMP1 racer. “I think it’s very important development that we shortcut by going racing. We prove that you can do an incredibly efficient and very powerful engine - we have roughly the same power as the road car (around or just over 550bhp) but burn about a third of the fuel doing it.

“Actually it’s very important that things like racing do help change people’s perspective,” explains Ben, “and that having a more fuel efficient car is better for the environment and less wasteful.”

We know of course, that whatever shape this new, LMP1-derived engine takes, it’ll most likely be matched up to a hybrid system too. Nissan’s chief creative officer Shiro Nakamura confirmed to TopGear.com a while back that indeed the next GT-R, due sometime in 2018 at the earliest, “will be a hybrid.”

So, an engine forged in racing, a hybrid setup and - hopefully - some of the styling from the Vision GT concept. Hands up who’s excited?