In the wake of Nissan’s mega press conference earlier this week more news about its sports cars and the revived Xterra SUV has emerged. The briefing outlined how the company plans to reverse its money-shredding trajectory and undo the legacy of the Carlos Ghosn era where it spread itself way too thin. Ghosn pursued market share at all costs and tried to make Nissan everything to everyone. In the end, that watered the brand down until it wasn’t much of anything. The new business plan hinges on cars that stand out, capitalizing on Nissan’s rich heritage, and as it turns out that may result in cars enthusiasts actually like.
“Sports cars are the core of what we are as a company,” President and CEO Ivan Espinosa said in a press Q&A following the presentation. As quoted by Motor1, Espinosa seems to be aware that Nissan’s sports car legacy doesn’t end with the Z and GT-R. He continued, “We’ve been doing that for many generations, and there are multiple nameplates that we could leverage on.”
Of course, that raised the question of whether the Silvia could be revived. As reported by The Drive, Espinosa replied, “…it would, if I could, soon, you know.”
As for a timeline, Espinosa explained, “If you ask one part of my brain, I would love to do that very quickly. But the other part of my brain tells me that we have to be prudent at the moment and go step by step. But for sure, we will see more sports cars coming into the portfolio.”
That’s the smart answer, but a conversation with Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America Ponz Pandikuthira revealed something that Espinosa hasn’t said publicly. “[Espinosa’s] a big fan of accessible sports cars,” he said. “He’s looking for the lightweight affordable sports car that the Silvia was back in the day. And he’s talked about this several times, well, before he was a CEO. So I think if there’s a guy in this company who could find a way to bring a sports car like the Silvia back, it’s him.”
It’s great that the Silvia is even being talked about, but a comeback is still very much in the air. One model’s future that isn’t up in the air is the R36 GT-R’s.
“Yes, we will be working — we are actually working — on GT-R. Not many details I can share today, but the GT-R will come, and it will come with the credibility and credentials it has always had, because it’s an icon of a company, but more so an icon of the industry. It’s proof of what [Chief Technology Officer Eiichi] Akashi-san’s team can do technically,’ Espinosa said.
“GT-R is a priority,” Espinosa affirmed. “The GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle; it is reserved for something truly special and the R35 set the bar high.” As of now, it seems likely that the R36 is likely to continue with the VR38DETT but with hybridization added.
It also seems that the GT-R will remain separate from the Skyline sedan that was teased during the press conference. However, according to The Drive Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier has confirmed that US-market version will be called the Infiniti Q50 with an arrival date of 2027.
Meunier also released a second Xterra teaser on his LinkedIn page with the caption “Badass is back.” We saw the official teaser showing the nose with a three-slot graphic like the D21 Hardbody and Pathfinder, but Meunier’s shows the profile.
It appears to have a short wheelbase like the Ford Bronco, a squared-off front end and a spare tire on the back. The roofline isn’t a typical flat plane, and while the original Xterra had a two-tiered roof, this one appears to step down as it approaches the rear. All we know is that it better have the asymmetrical rear with the jerrycan-shaped surface on the rear door.
“I’m going to bring an Xterra with everything you need, nothing you don’t, which is the slogan that was used in 2002, which we believe is right for the brand,” Meunier told The Drive. “We will work very proactively with the aftermarket so the car can be customized for stuff that we can’t typically do out of the factory.” One of those things is 35-inch tires from the factory and the ability to accommodate “37 or more in aftermarket.”
As for the timeline, Meunier said, “I want to bring it to SEMA [in October] next year, ideally, to start creating some buzz and interest with the aftermarket.”
This is all very encouraging, and Nissan’s current leadership seems to have their fingers on the pulse of enthusiasts in a way recent regimes have not. Turns out that putting product first, not market share, may have its benefits after all.
I just hope this means turbos and manual transmissions.