Nissan GT-R return likely in European sports car push

Nissan is poised to expand its line-up of high-performance Nismo models offered in the UK, including a return of sports cars and tuned versions of key mainstream machines.

The Japanese firm recently confirmed that it will launch the Ariya Nismo in Europe early next year as the electric SUV’s new performance flagship.

It will also be the first model to carry the branding in the region since the GT-R Nismo was taken off sale due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations.

The Z sports car has also never been sold in the UK because it doesn’t meet emissions regulations, but Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s global product strategy chief, confirmed to Autocar that electrification will allow such models to be sold here.

“The future interpretation of our really high-performance cars will likely be electrified, not only because of our brand direction but also because, geographically, regulations are pushing us in that direction,” he said. “It’s obviously the area we have to go [towards].”

Espinosa added: “You can also imagine a few of our key nameplates having a Nismo version, because that’s a way to bring Nismo excitement to more customers. Those are the key elements we’ll be playing with for Nismo in the future.”

Hinting at an electrified future for the GT-R badge, Nissan last year showed its wild Hyper Force concept.

Asked if a potential production version of that car would reach the UK, Espinosa said: “The fact it is electric will help: making electrified sports cars will make it easier to bring them to many markets that are restricted today.”

Talking about the UK market in particular, Espinosa continued: “There are many enthusiasts in the UK, and it is in our hearts to bring sports cars to the UK again.”

The Ariya Nismo is the first to receive the Nissan motorsport division’s badge, but Espinosa didn’t give any indications of which mainstream electric models could be next to get the Nismo treatment. However, he insisted any that did would be focused on performance.