While Nissan’s struggles as of late have been well documented, the Japanese automaker also has a few wins it can celebrate. The new Leaf may be the best value in the entire electric car segment (it won Car of the Year in our annual Buzz Awards). The new plug-in hybrid Rogue came free from Mitsubishi. And they’ve got Roush tuning the Nissan Frontier now. They’re wins to build on, and Nissan intends to do just that with its recent announcement that the global lineup of Nismo models will be doubling from five to 10.
This news also comes with an embedded suggestion that Nissan is working on developing a Nismo-only sports car from its work in motorsport. It would be a Nismo model not based on a vehicle already sold in the automaker’s lineup. In its own words, the company says, “Nissan [will] introduce prototype vehicles for racing activities to accelerate technological advancements in both hardware and software development for racing purpose[s] and car lineup expansion.”
You Get A Nismo And You Get A Nismo!
The Nismo subdivision of upgraded performance models couldn’t be more important to Nissan in the wake of the GT-R’s demise. Currently, North America gets Nismo versions of the Z sports car and Armada full-size SUV, while Japan has Nismo versions of the X-Trail (i.e. Rogue), Aura and Note Aura, Ariya EV, and Skyline. Doubling that lineup to 10 models means we could see Nismo versions of many more Nissan models currently on sale.
Whatever new models are launched, Nissan hopes to increase global Nismo sales from 100,000 units per year to 150,000 units by 2028. It expects most of that growth to happen outside of Japan, with overseas sales rising from 40 percent to 60 percent of total sales. The company also clearly states it’s open to working with other automakers on collaborations to expand the Nismo lineup.
The last part of Nissan’s Nismo renaissance is beefing up its heritage and restoration programs. It’s a big business, and Nissan knows there are plenty of Skyline owners out there who would love more factory support. The company says it will focus first on expanding its restoration, restomod, and parts business for the Skyline GT-R R32, R33, and R34 models first.
TopSpeed’s Take
This news begs the obvious question: which current Nissan model do you want to see get a Nismo makeover first? We think the new Leaf is an obvious choice, as is the Rogue since they already sell a Nismo version of its doppelgänger, the X-Trail, in Japan. Beyond that, we hope Nissan notices automakers such as Ford with its new Lobo series of high-performance street trucks. A Nismo version of the Frontier mid-size pickup truck would be an interesting choice that adds further wind to the sails of this trend.
Either way, this is good news for Nissan, which seemed to be gasping its last breath earlier this year. Since then, it’s come out with new vehicles and future product plans that not only seem well-thought-out, but also create genuine excitement. We look forward to this new world Nissan’s creating with double the Nismo in it.
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