Nissan's going all in: Inside the plan episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 39 MIN

Nissan's going all in: Inside the plan

from The Drivecast · host The Drive

Nissan's in trouble, but the automaker's not going down without a fight. After laying out a massive turnaround plan it's clear Nissan's not just on the ropes, but about to swing for the fences and really try and cater to both the masses and enthusiasts, again, as it refocuses. This week, The Drive's Director of Content and Product, Joel Feder, is joined by Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, in an exclusive one-on-one chat taking place in Japan discussing what's coming from both Nissan and Infiniti. From a family of U.S.-made body-on-frame vehicles to special edition Zs, the timeline for the next GT-R, backdate kits, restomod and classic parts, to a 600-plus-horsepower QX80, Pandikuthira spills the goods about how Nissan and Infiniti intends to win back the hearts, and wallets, of buyers ranging from millionaires to enthusiasts on a budget and everyone in-between. So, today, it’s behind-the-scenes on Nissan’s turnaround plan and what comes next. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Nissan Announces Huge Turnaround Plan To Cut Models and Keep the Good Stuff Nissan’s Next GT-R Will Be a Hybrid, Keep the VR38 Block, and Arrive by 2030 The Nissan Z Is Thriving Thanks to an Unlikely Hero: Your Parents The Next-Gen Nissan Xterra Is Real, and Here’s Your First Look Nissan Confirms New Xterra Will Offer Hybrid and Non-Hybrid V6 Options Nissan Is Looking at Doing a Sports Car Lineup Again, Exec Says 00:00 Intro 03:27 Next-gen GT-R 07:46 What's next for the Z? 09:44 Summarization of the upcoming products 10:39 Infiniti's "high-horsepower" sedan (the Skyline) 11:26 The future of Infiniti 15:37 A performance version of the Infiniti QX80 16:43 A Skyline JDM kit for Q50? 19:17 Bringing back and providing heritage parts 22:44 Hotter QX80s and what could come next 25:20 Special projects? 26:44 Xterra is coming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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