Nissan’s in a tough spot. There’s a strong enthusiast community that rallies around the brand and heritage, but while the love might be strong the flame has been weak as of late with quite the bleak situation and product lineup. But just over a year into the job Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa told The Drive to tell enthusiasts a simple message,”Nissan is back.” Big claims, but the man in charge of the historic automaker’s wasting no time and already laid out a huge turnaround plan.
In Yokohama, Japan, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, exclusively sat down with The Drive for a one-on-one discussion on the latest episode of The Drivecast. Pandikuthira revealed a new department is being put together to put heritage parts and restomod kits into production, a JDM conversion kit will be offered in the U.S. for the upcoming Infiniti Q50 to make it truly the Nissan Skyline, a 600-plus-horsepower QX80 will be arriving at dealers later this year, discusses upcoming Xterra revival, a family of frame-based SUVs and truck, and more.
The latest episode of The Drivecast goes behind the curtain and inside Nissan’s executive team, which is now stacked with automotive enthusiasts that want to bring back the Silvia and a sports car lineup, what’s coming for the Z and what’s working currently, and of course addresses the fact the GT-R is currently sleeping (note: not dead), again.
First day here? The Drivecast is The Drive‘s weekly podcast with episodes arriving on Wednesdays. Each week The Drivecast takes you behind-the-scenes on the biggest stories, controversies, and characters shaping the automotive industry and the way our roads look today. Powered by The Drive‘s inside access and original reporting, exclusives, and insights, The Drivecast aims to make it so everyone’s an insider.
You can listen to the latest and previous episodes of The Drivecast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music. Love what you hear? Hit us with a five-star review to help get The Drivecast in front of more people. Have a suggestion, request, or feedback? Drop us a line at feedback@thedrive.com. We read every email.