Tuesday 25th April 2017

NISMO confirms global model expansion

New segments, new markets and new models for Nissan Motorsport - whaddya want?

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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."

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...

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...

[GloriaGTI]

Got to put that Pulsar NISMO concept from a few years ago into production, if they haven't already?

[GloriaGTI]

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?