The Nissan GT-R may be gone for the moment, but it certainly does not sound forgotten. In fact, after Car and Driver interviewed Nissan executive Ponz Pandikuthira at the New York Auto Show, the clearest message yet came into focus: the next GT-R is not a question of if, but when. That alone is enough to get enthusiasts paying attention, especially after years of uncertainty surrounding the future of Godzilla. More importantly, Nissan appears to understand that the GT-R cannot come back as just another expensive halo car with a famous badge. It still has to feel like a GT-R.

And that authenticity starts with price. According to the comments shared from Nissan, the company knows the GT-R built its legend by delivering outrageous performance without playing in the ultra-exotic price bracket. The original R35 arrived in the U.S. at roughly $70,000, and Nissan seems to view an inflation-adjusted modern equivalent in the $120,000 to $130,000 range as the right neighborhood for a future R36. In today’s market, that would make the next GT-R feel less like an unattainable dream and more like a legitimate supercar alternative again, which is exactly where this nameplate has always done its best work.

The bigger surprise may be what is expected to power it. Instead of going fully electric, the next GT-R is reportedly shaping up around a hybridized twin-turbo V6, with Nissan even pointing to the outgoing car’s VR38 engine architecture as a strong foundation to build from. That is an important detail because it suggests the company is aiming to preserve some of the mechanical character that made the R35 such a monster in the first place, while still adapting to a world shaped by tighter emissions rules and global regulatory pressure. A hybrid setup may not sound old-school, but if it helps Nissan keep the GT-R fast, usable, and globally viable, it is probably the smartest path forward.

There is also an encouraging sense that Nissan is treating the GT-R like a real product program, not just a fantasy for the distant future. Reports indicate there is already a team working on the next-generation car, with a rough timeline that could bring more concrete announcements within the next couple of years and a production R36 before the end of the decade. That still leaves plenty of waiting ahead, of course, but it is a lot more promising than vague corporate nostalgia. For longtime fans, hearing that Nissan is actively shaping a successor instead of simply talking about the brand’s heritage is the kind of development that actually matters.

What really makes this encouraging is that Nissan seems to understand the GT-R’s role in the performance-car world. This car has never been about handmade exotic theater or six-figure exclusivity for its own sake. It has always been about delivering brutal capability, all-weather confidence, and giant-killing speed in a package that felt almost rebellious for the money. If Nissan can bring back the GT-R with hybrid power, real performance, and a price that stays true to that formula, the R36 could end up being one of the most important enthusiast cars of the decade. For now, the GT-R remains in hibernation, but after Car and Driver’s interview with Nissan, it sounds a lot more like a sleeping monster than a retired legend.