Nissan may be saying goodbye to the R35 GT-R era, but the company is making it pretty clear it does not want the “fun” part of its brand to fade into the background. The latest move is a renewed push for Nismo, Nissan’s in-house performance and motorsports arm, with a plan to bring more enthusiast flavor to a wider mix of vehicles than just the usual suspects.
The big headline is scale: Nissan says it wants to double its global Nismo road-car lineup from five models to ten in the coming years. Along with that, the company is aiming to grow annual Nismo shipments from about 100,000 units to 150,000 by the end of 2028, while expanding availability in more markets. Nissan also left the door open to working with “external partners,” which is a polite way of saying some future Nismo products could be developed with help from outside the company if it gets the job done faster or more efficiently.
What’s interesting is how broad the current Nismo spread already is if you look beyond the U.S. The Nissan Z Nismo might be the poster child, but Nismo badges have also landed on region-specific offerings like the Patrol Nismo, plus performance-flavored takes on mainstream nameplates such as the Ariya Nismo and X-Trail Nismo in certain markets. That matters because it suggests Nissan is not treating Nismo like a one-car halo project, but more like a performance trim strategy that can stretch from sports cars to SUVs and even electrified models.
Nissan is not naming the five future additions yet, which is probably smart because the product mix will vary by region. Still, it is easy to imagine where enthusiasts will point first: a sportier, more focused sedan and a future successor that carries the GT-R spirit forward, even if the timing is still a question mark. The fact that Nissan executives continue to talk about a GT-R return keeps the hope alive, and a stronger Nismo pipeline gives Nissan a natural place to plug in special editions and higher-performance variants as new platforms arrive.
There’s also a motorsports angle to this expansion, not just stickers and aero bits. Nissan says it plans to roll out Nismo-branded race car prototypes starting in fiscal year 2026, with the idea that what it learns there will feed into future street vehicles. If Nissan executes this well, the best outcome is simple: more cars that feel engineered by people who actually care about driving, and more choices for buyers who want something with personality without needing a full-blown supercar budget.
Lloyd Tobias is a seasoned automotive journalist and passionate enthusiast with over 15 years of experience immersed in the world of cars. Whether it’s exploring the latest advancements in automotive technology or keeping a close pulse on breaking industry news, Lloyd brings a sharp perspective and a deep appreciation for all things automotive. His writing blends technical insight with real-world enthusiasm, making his contributions both informative and engaging for readers who share his love for the drive. When he’s not behind the keyboard or under the hood, Lloyd enjoys test driving the newest models and staying ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving automotive landscape.
