The Nashorn (initially known as the Hornisse) was the first attempt to fit the powerful 8.8cm PaK 43 gun on an armored vehicle chassis. This gun was the long-barreled version of the deadly 8.8cm that was the most formidable towed anti-tank gun available to the German Army, albeit one that required large numbers of men and vehicles to move in and out of position. The chassis chosen was a hybrid of the PzKpfw III/IV with numerous modifications, notably moving the engine compartment to the front. This allowed the fighting compartment to be located at the rear. The main drawback of the design was the large superstructure built around the gun, this gave the Nashorn a particularly high profile but at the same time, offered weak protection to the crew since the addition of thicker armor plate was prohibitive due to the vehicle's already high ground pressure. Despite these limitations, the Nashorn was built in moderately large numbers compared to other German vehicles of its class and it saw extensive action on the Eastern Front, where it had its debut during the Battle of Kursk, as well as in Italy and the West. Production continued throughout the war despite the appearance of more capable true tank destroyer designs, notably the Jagdpanther and the Jagdpanzer IV, the latter which despite having an inferior gun was better suited as a tank-killer.

The Hornisse was originally designed in 1942 as a vehicle for the PaK 43 gun. The chassis used was the Geschützwagen III/IV, a hybrid of the PzKpfw III and IV hulls. Shortly after production commenced, a number of minor modifications were provided to the basic design which was later renamed Nashorn (rhinoceros) in 1944.