Is the GT-R A Real M Car Competitor?<\/h3>\n
Back when the Nissan GT-R debuted in 2007, $69,850 got you into the driver\u2019s seat. By comparison, the contemporary M3 cost around $55,000. Meanwhile, the significantly more expensive, V10-powered M6 cost around $90,000. Considering the GT-R made only 20 horsepower less than the M6 \u2014 and reached 60 mph quicker thanks to all-wheel drive \u2014 it was a decidedly valid alternative. By the end of the car\u2019s lifecycle, though, things changed dramatically. The 2023 Nissan GT-R commanded $116,040 \u2014 more than the F90 BMW M5 and not terribly far off from today\u2019s G90 M5 ($126,000ish).<\/p>\n
BMW\u2019s lineup has also gotten a lot more flexible in the last 20 years. The M3 and M4 now come with an xDrive option and 500-some horsepower themselves. The roles, therefore, reverse, with the M3 and M4 xDrive offering quicker 0-60 performance for significantly less cash outlay than the GT-R. But then, Nissan\u2019s next GT-R might yet again flip the script. Espinosa went light on details, only specifying that the R36 GT-R is \u201cproof of what [the team developing it] can do technically.\u201d Another Nissan exec: \u201cI\u2019d say by 2028 you\u2019ll see some concrete announcements, and hopefully before the decade turns you\u2019ll see an R36 GT-R.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, hints are virtually non-existent. The biggest clues we get come from this seven-second preview video on Nissan\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>, and frankly, there\u2019s little to be gleaned. Other than the iconic circular taillights and a sleek new front end design, early reports indicate a hybrid powertrain utilizing an updated version of the R35\u2019s V6. Nissan execs claim \u201cit\u2019s going to be an all-new car.\u201d<\/p>\n It will have to be if Nissan wants parity with BMW M cars. By the latter half of the decade, we\u2019ll no doubt see an EV M3, with the potential for a hybrid M3<\/a> not far behind or debuting concurrently. Hybrid M3 notwithstanding, the current BMW M hybrid stable isn\u2019t anything to sneeze at. Despite its hefty curb weight and polarizing aesthetics, the G90 M5<\/a> touts a supercar-rivaling 700 horsepower. The XM Label uses the same powertrain to develop closer to 750 horsepower. That\u2019s also to say nothing of rivals like the C8 Corvette Z06<\/a>, which will offer a \u201ctrue\u201d sports car experience for likely less money. Nissan has their work cut out for them \u2014 at least if they want to cut into BMW M sales.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/bmw-m4-cs-riviera-blue-03.jpg\" "\\"Test")
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