Kinishi Tanuma, Nissan’s new chief engineer for the GT-R, has some pretty big shoes to fill. He’s the replacement for Kazutoshi Mizuno, the man credited with making the current R35 GT-R the world-beating performance machine that it is. He was also a proponent of keeping the GT-R’s supercar-like performance accessible to the common man, although in recent years the car’s pricetag has reached six-figure territory.

The good news is that Tanuma also shares the belief that the GT-R’s performance should be more accessible. Speaking with Automotive News (subscription required), Tanuma said he was looking to boost volumes for the GT-R and focus on quality and value rather than simply increasing the horsepower.

“We need more of a volume car, not just more horsepower,” Tanuma explained. “Americans love this kind of big power, but I want to show more quality, more value.

Currently, the car’s production is limited because there are only four staff, known as Takumi, that are trained to assemble the car’s handmade engine. Tanuma said that a fifth Takumi is being trained. Last year Nissan sold 1,188 GT-Rs in the U.S., the car’s biggest market.

Tanuma was tight with further details on the GT-R’s future. He did reveal, however, that there would be more electronic aids.

According to previous reports, a redesigned R36 GT-R could be introduced as early as the 2016 model year and feature hybrid technology developed with the Williams F1 Team. Before the arrival of the R36 GT-R, however, we’ll see a new GT-R NISMO model launched.

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