Nissan says Nismo cars to become 'more maverick'

Nissan Nismo performance vehicles are set to become more ‘maverick’ as additional vehicles are launched, according to the firm’s chairman of European operations, Paul Willcox.

Speaking at the Paris motor show, where a Nissan Pulsar Nismo concept was unveiled alongside the latest Nissan Juke Nismo RS, Nissan 370Z Nismo and Nissan GT-R Nismo, Willcox conceded that the performance brand needed to push in to new territory to truly stand out.

‘We saw from the one-off Nissan Juke R concept, which was powered by a GT-R engine, that maverick projects can take on far more significance than you might expect,’ said Willcox. ‘That was a UK based project that became a European project that then got adopted and used all around the world.

‘While you can’t build any sales volumes from cars that are quite that bespoke, it’s certainly true that for us to follow our opposition would be a mistake.’

Willcox also conceded that a Nissan Qashqai Nismo was ‘possible’, adding that ‘we are looking for credible reasons to do the Qashqai.’