RE: NISMO confirms global model expansion
Tuesday 25th April 2017
While hardly common on UK roads, those NISMO products that have so far been introduced here have proven very likeable. Beyond the appeal to the Gran Turismo generation of buying a genuine NISMO product, the 370Z NISMO sharpens up the standard car to a welcome degree and the GT-R flagship is as exhilarating as you would hope. Oh yes, and there's the Juke NISMO RS too. It's alright, let's leave it there...
Come on NISMO RS...Despite the Juke's presence, the news that Nissan "plans to expand the range of NISMO road cars to new segments, market them more globally and boost the line up in existing markets" sounds very good. To achieve this goal Nissan has set up a new NISMO-specific unit too, which will bring together staff from Nissan, Autech, Nissan Motorsport and other group companies "to plan and develop more appealing products in a shorter time."
Something like this seems more likely...So what's next? Well we've heard the latest Micra is really rather good as superminis go, and there is clearly appetite for B-segment hot hatches still, so that would be a logical place to start. A two-tier line up with NISMO and NISMO RS, much like Peugeot with the 208 GTI Prestige and by Peugeot Sport, could cater for hot hatch buyers at both ends of the spectrum. Beyond that there's an increasing demand for performance SUVs; Nissan largely created the C-segment crossover market with the Qashqai a decade ago, and cars like the SEAT Ateca Cupra are imminent, so a Qashqai NISMO should not be considered unrealistic. What would you like to see? And no, you can't bring back heritage models...
NISMO confirms global model expansion
New segments, new markets and new models for Nissan Motorsport - whaddya want?
Come on NISMO RS...
Which leads onto just what those "more appealing products" could be. Since the introduction of the NISMO badge to mainstream Nissan products in 2013, it has been used throughout the range. Beyond those models offered in the UK, the Sentra, Note and Patrol have been NISMO'd in other markets. And yes, you did just read 'Patrol' and 'NISMO' in the same sentence - take a look here.
Something like this seems more likely...
Discussion
They should put that Concept Nismo Pulsar into production.
Nismo by Michael Smith, on Flickr
Nismo by Michael Smith, on Flickr
And give the new Micra the Nismo treatment aswell similar to what Toyota is doing with the Gazoo Racing Yaris thing.
Nismo by Michael Smith, on FlickrNismo by Michael Smith, on FlickrAnd give the new Micra the Nismo treatment aswell similar to what Toyota is doing with the Gazoo Racing Yaris thing.
Edited by Mike1990 on Tuesday 25th April 15:27
Until Nismo-badged road cars go back to being pure performance rather than a mostly styling exercise (Nissan have admitted this themselves), they can chuck the badge on whatever they want as I have no interest in it. Much like Vauxhall did with the VXR brand, once that left the VX220 and the Monaro in search of the Zafira and Meriva, the brand just dies a slow and painful death.
Ekona said:
Until Nismo-badged road cars go back to being pure performance rather than a mostly styling exercise (Nissan have admitted this themselves), they can chuck the badge on whatever they want as I have no interest in it. Much like Vauxhall did with the VXR brand, once that left the VX220 and the Monaro in search of the Zafira and Meriva, the brand just dies a slow and painful death.
Why did you bother commenting then? 
Do you approach owners of VXR Zafira's etc and express to them your dislike of Vauxhall's decision to brand such cars with a VXR badge?
NISMO to Nissan is becomming exactly the same as M-Sport to BMW, ST-Line to Ford and S-Line to Audi.
It's just a way of putting some nice trim on a poverty spec and selling it for more money. All we can hope is that the NISMO RS versions get made, as they'll be the ones that are comparable to BMW M cars, Audi RS and Ford ST...
It's just a way of putting some nice trim on a poverty spec and selling it for more money. All we can hope is that the NISMO RS versions get made, as they'll be the ones that are comparable to BMW M cars, Audi RS and Ford ST...
It sounded like a pretty in-depth change from what I saw in the press conference video. It looks like Autech are going to be responsible for the NISMO road cars, with a small team from Autech, Nissan and NISMO. NISMO themselves will focus more on motorsports.
It also looks like the road cars will have 3 trim levels: NISMO Line (which sounds mainly cosmetic and covers things like the Note/March etc), NISMO which will cover the largest number of models, and NISMO High Performance which will cover the more special stuff.
While I personally have no interest whatsoever in cosmetic upgrades on the more mainstream models, at least they bring in the money for the interesting models.
They're also starting a heritage parts system and are going to start re-making some parts for the R32 Skyline which are long out of production. If it goes well, they're planning on moving to other heritage models too.
For anyone who saw the video (it's on Nissan's Youtube page), it took place in NISMO's Omori Factory in Yokohama which is well worth a visit if you're ever in Japan!
It also looks like the road cars will have 3 trim levels: NISMO Line (which sounds mainly cosmetic and covers things like the Note/March etc), NISMO which will cover the largest number of models, and NISMO High Performance which will cover the more special stuff.
While I personally have no interest whatsoever in cosmetic upgrades on the more mainstream models, at least they bring in the money for the interesting models.
They're also starting a heritage parts system and are going to start re-making some parts for the R32 Skyline which are long out of production. If it goes well, they're planning on moving to other heritage models too.
For anyone who saw the video (it's on Nissan's Youtube page), it took place in NISMO's Omori Factory in Yokohama which is well worth a visit if you're ever in Japan!
Nismo QQ has been developed but placed on hold
Nismo Pulsar was knocked on the head as they a) had trouble with cooling and reliability with 280bhp, and b) felt the clio rs was too close a competitor and would potentially take sales away.
I saw a Nismo Patrol on the M40 about 3 months ago, immense and whilst not exactly practical would be a good addition. It was I think a pre prod model doing some testing. However the UK market currently doesn't take the Patrol
We won't see the Nismo Note, that model is on run out in the UK
Nismo Micra is a possibility, not sure whether NMGB would take it here though
Nismo Xtrail is a badge exercise in Japan. That might come over here.
Nismo Juke is pretty good, I have had one, apart from the small petrol tank it goes well.
The NISMO range should be high output petrol (220bhp+), high out put diesel (200bhp+). I do genuinely think a Nismo QQ, 2.0d with 220bhp, or a Nismo QQ 1.6t with 250bhp would sell. ( and their Xtrail equivalent)
ALL IMHO.
Nismo Pulsar was knocked on the head as they a) had trouble with cooling and reliability with 280bhp, and b) felt the clio rs was too close a competitor and would potentially take sales away.
I saw a Nismo Patrol on the M40 about 3 months ago, immense and whilst not exactly practical would be a good addition. It was I think a pre prod model doing some testing. However the UK market currently doesn't take the Patrol
We won't see the Nismo Note, that model is on run out in the UK
Nismo Micra is a possibility, not sure whether NMGB would take it here though
Nismo Xtrail is a badge exercise in Japan. That might come over here.
Nismo Juke is pretty good, I have had one, apart from the small petrol tank it goes well.
The NISMO range should be high output petrol (220bhp+), high out put diesel (200bhp+). I do genuinely think a Nismo QQ, 2.0d with 220bhp, or a Nismo QQ 1.6t with 250bhp would sell. ( and their Xtrail equivalent)
ALL IMHO.
GloriaGTI said:
Ekona said:
Until Nismo-badged road cars go back to being pure performance rather than a mostly styling exercise (Nissan have admitted this themselves), they can chuck the badge on whatever they want as I have no interest in it. Much like Vauxhall did with the VXR brand, once that left the VX220 and the Monaro in search of the Zafira and Meriva, the brand just dies a slow and painful death.
Why did you bother commenting then? Do you approach owners of VXR Zafira's etc and express to them your dislike of Vauxhall's decision to brand such cars with a VXR badge?
And no, of course I don't. I keep my hatred for the brand underwraps, until such a day as there may be a news headline on a popular motoring website that invites me to pass comment on how to kill a performance brand
Please, please, please let them be serious contenders.
The Pulsar GTi-R was an awesome piece of kit. In today's money, you'd get a 2.0l turbo front wheel drive car. NO THANKS, I don't want that rubbish.
If they do it properly, throughout the range, then Nismo would continue its heritage, rather than becoming another 'AMG', where we get Nismo wheels and Spoilers, but what they're attached to has nothing to do with the brand.
The Pulsar GTi-R was an awesome piece of kit. In today's money, you'd get a 2.0l turbo front wheel drive car. NO THANKS, I don't want that rubbish.
If they do it properly, throughout the range, then Nismo would continue its heritage, rather than becoming another 'AMG', where we get Nismo wheels and Spoilers, but what they're attached to has nothing to do with the brand.
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