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Nissan has previously announced that there will be a successor to the R35 GT-R and the next GT-R is due to be released in either 2017 or 2018. The GT-R's chief engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, also mentioned that the current R35 GT-R will evolve over the next five years. According to recent reports, engineers at the company are considering giving the next Nissan GT-R a hybrid powerplant. This might not come as a surprise since there have been a rising number of automakers experimenting with hybrid technology for their supercars. Nissan's engineers are looking at two possibilities at the moment. The first one is a hybrid set-up where one or more electric motors will help to boost the car's performance and depend on recovered brake energy for power. Nissan introduced the Infiniti Essence Concept with a similar hybrid technology a few years back and the concept was able to make around 600bhp. But, the heavy weight of the batteries used for the hybrid system was a real let down for the engineers at that time. The other option is a simpler one which utilises an electric motor to power up supporting items such as lights and etc. this will help to greatly reduce the load of the engine. Additionally, it will also help to boost performance by being mounted to the gearbox. The next GT-R might also feature engine stop-start technology and cylinder deactivation in order to improve fuel consumption. Introducing hybrid technology on supercars will have some benefits. Other than reducing emissions level and improving fuel economy, electric motors will give the car instantaneous torque, improved traction control (especially for all wheel drive cars) and increased range through reduced fuel consumption.

An ex-General Motors (GM) engineer, Du Shanshan and her husband, Yu Qin, were convicted of stealing trade secrets on hybrid car technology from their former company to help develop such vehicles in China. The 53-year old Du was found guilty of conspiracy to possess trade secrets without authorization and two counts of trade secrets. However, she was acquitted on wire fraud charges. The U.S claimed that Du copied GM's trade secrets and provided the documents to Yu. Prosecutors accused Yu of using the data to seek business ventures or employment with GM's competitors, including the Chinese automaker Chery Automobile. Yu was found guilty on all six counts and a seventh count, which is obstruction of justice. "These defendants stole trade secrets, which General Motors spent many years and millions of dollars to develop, to give an unfair advantage to a foreign competitor," US Attorney Barbara McQuade said after the verdict. "We hope that this prosecution will send a message that stealing proprietary information from an employer or competitor is a serious crime," McQuade added. The couple's attorneys said that the documents in question were not trade secrets, while GM declined to comment on the issue. The defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years on each of the trade secrets counts. Yu could face a stiffer sentence on wire fraud and obstruction convictions. The trade secret counts, wire fraud and obstruction of justice carry a fine of US$250,000 each.

[extract] If five years ago, someone said that Porsche would be the first major auto manufacturer to use electric drive technology in each of its models, people might think the person might be joking or just crazy. Fast forward to today and that particular statement is getting real close to being true. Almost every model in Porsche

A profitable future for automakers usually relies mostly on yielding the best return from their products and technologies and at times these technologies does not come from the automaker themselves. There have been numerous partnerships between two auto firms and usually it is to exchange technologies with each other. Lately, BMW and Toyota have gone down that route. Sometime last month, BMW and Toyota held talks regarding the exchange of technologies that they excel in. Reportedly, BMW will supply their diesel engines to Toyota and in exchange, Toyota will share its hybrid technology with BMW. During the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, both companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a mid to long term collaboration on next-generation environment-friendly technologies. Toyota aims to offer its current line-up with diesel engines especially in Europe where diesel emission tests are very stringent. And also they need to find a source outside of Japan to alleviate the strength of the Yen. BMW is working hard on their i3 concept hybrid and to fund a hybrid technology development will cost a lot of money compared to buying that technology from another company, for this case, Toyota. Toyota will receive access to BMW