--- title: "The Next Nissan GT-R Is Being Held Up by America’s Politics" description: "Godzilla is coming. The Nissan GT-R isn't dead, it's resting, but there are people already hard at work to wake it from its slumber. Turns out, there are headwinds and it's not from within the automaker." date: "2026-04-24" modified: "2026-04-24" authors: - name: "Joel Feder" job_title: "Director of Content and Product" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/joel-feder" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-next-nissan-gt-r-is-being-held-up-by-americas-politics" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Nissan News" - "Regulations" tags: - "sports car" --- # The Next Nissan GT-R Is Being Held Up by America’s Politics ![Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign]() *\Nissan\* Godzilla is coming. The Nissan GT-R isn't dead, it's resting, but there are people already hard at work to wake it from its slumber. Turns out, there are headwinds and it's not from within the automaker. In Yokohama, Japan, on the [latest episode of *The Drivecast*]() Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, exclusively told *The Drive* that the uncertainty in today's U.S. political arena is slowing down the development of the next-generation GT-R. Listen to the entire conversation starting at the moment Pandikuthira divulges that it's political issues that are causing uncertainty with the path forward for next GT-R below. Pandikuthira said, "Look, what I think is the biggest challenge with the current generation of GT-R is it just didn't meet emissions. And there was too much stuff that had to be done to the car that would basically choke the powertrain to make it compatible with the latest emission standards. So it was definitely time to sunset that vehicle. What we want to do is future-proof next-generation GT-R that it can have a really long life and keep evolving over its lifecycle. But the unknown, the big unknown is which way are emissions regulations going to go? We currently have a reprieve with the current administration. They've backed off on a lot of the regulations. And so there's many things we can do today, but we don't know if we can do them maybe post '28 or post '32. And so that's what's actually slowing down the development of what we want this car to be." "That said, there is a core group of people, and Ivan's confirmed it to you. There is a core group of enthusiasts based right here in Japan working on bringing the GT-R back. And they're completely nuts about this car," Pandikuthira noted. In 2025 we learned from Pandikuthira that [the next-gen GT-R will be a hybrid]() that arrives in 3 to 5 years. Earlier this month we learned it will [keep the R35's VR38 block](). And [newly-appointed Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa](), who's been in the hot seat for just over a year now, [confirmed to *The Drive*]() that "we are actually working already on the GT-R," as Pandikuthira noted. The reason for that 3- to 5-year timeline is political in nature. "So the reason I said 2028 is that's when we'll actually know if there's going to be a change in the administration, and then we'll find out a trajectory of what emissions will look like, and then that'll solidify the plans. That said, you can't start in 2028. So clearly a lot of the work will be done here, but hopefully by 2028, with somebody like Ivan as the CEO now, I think it'll get a higher priority and we should be able to make some concrete announcements by '28 of a timeline of when exactly you'd be able to see a new GTR in showrooms," Pandikuthira said. A lot's about to happen at Nissan before the next GT-R arrives. Espinosa just [laid out a huge turnaround plan]() that will cut models and keep the good stuff. A family of frame-based vehicles is headed to the U.S. starting in 2028 and it will be kicked off with [the new Xterra](). And while Nissan needs to sell a ton of [Rogue crossover SUVs](), its [enthusiast CEO told *The Drive*]() that "sports cars are the core of what we are as a company." Espinosa isn't the only car guy in the C-suite. The hot seats are filled with passionate car guys. Richard Candler, the man in charge of Nissan’s global corporate product strategy, [told *The Drive*](), “We are really deeply looking at the sports \[car\] lineup again. We all want to do some cool cars.” Pandikuthira's advice while people wait for the GT-R to return? "Hakone Skyline Road, I highly recommend it. Rent a car, drive on this Ashinoko-Skyline Hakone Toll Road, because that's where the GT-R was developed. When I lived here in Japan, I had an R35 GT-R. That road is made for it. And these guys who are working on us, this core group, they're out there taking their cars every weekend and playing with it. So believe me, they're actively working on figuring out the right way to bring the GT-R back. So when the time is right, the car will be absolutely right." One thing is for sure: Nissan's [Godfather of the GT-R is going to get his wish]() and the next-generation of Godzilla will be gas powered. *Got a tip about future product? Send us a line at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Overseeing what you see, read, touch, hear, and interact with from the vast lakes of Minnesota, Joel Feder shapes how The Drive looks and operates as the head of content and product initiatives. On a daily basis, Joel leads the newsroom and editorial staff playing point on both short-term coverage and long-term strategic plans. His mission is to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media by helping the team execute original reporting, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities. Regarded as an industry insider and recognized by colleagues, fellow journalists, and manufacturers as a point-person and leader in the industry, Joel owns and runs the largest automotive professionals group on Facebook in an effort to serve and help others. Joel serves as a juror for the World Car Awards. In addition, he is the board chair and chair of the governance and nominating committee for Move Forward MN, a local non-profit that helps at-risk youth with barrier-free mental health and housing services. While you’re reading this he’s either on his computer or iPhone chasing the latest news or drafting a story. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Bluesky]() [Email]()