Nissan's leader states that the Twin-Turbo V6 in the Nissan Z "has the potential for significantly more power."

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      Nissan's leadership is working diligently to execute a significant turnaround plan. CEO Ivan Espinosa, who has been in his role for just over a year, told The Drive in February to assure fans, “Nissan is back.” While skepticism among enthusiasts, fans, analysts, and the public is understandable, the presence of a passionate executive team may signal a potential revival for the automaker.

      In Yokohama, Japan, Ponz Pandikuthira, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, shared exclusively with The Drive on the recent episode of The Drivecast, “I do see performance upgrades as part of the Z’s future; that twin turbo can produce much more power, and it will meet current emissions standards.”

      Pandikuthira added, “So I do foresee the release of performance versions and special limited series.”

      You can catch the full conversation starting at the moment Pandikuthira mentioned performance enhancements for the Z alongside limited edition variants.

      Later, Pandikuthira acknowledged the Z’s VR30DTT twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, which has a standard output of 400 horsepower in most variants and is increased to 420 hp in the Nismo version, is somewhat conservatively tuned. He noted that many enthusiasts and tuners are successfully extracting 500 hp from the Z’s powertrain with reliability.

      The Z is currently gaining popularity, notably among a surprising demographic: your parents. Pandikuthira remarked to The Drive at this month's 2026 New York auto show that, “Interestingly, many of today’s Z buyers are people who desired this car during their teenage years or in their 20s but couldn’t afford it then. The car seemed to drift off course for a while, leading to a lack of enthusiasm, but this new version has won them over. We are seeing many older customers purchasing it as a trophy or retirement vehicle. The Z performance variant is selling very well, with a small segment focused on track use also opting for the Nismo.”

      “These are the individuals who longed for the car, and now they’re saying, I adore that maroon hue. I want it in British racing green. I prefer this tan, camel-colored interior. I’d like a manual, not this automatic. So, let them customize it. They’re willing to wait because they’re not using this car for daily commutes. They’re patient enough to wait 3 to 6 months, which is the build and shipping time,” Pandikuthira continued at the auto show.

      This specific buyer demographic is exactly why Nissan aims to focus on more limited-edition models, according to Pandikuthira. The Z will soon become harder to obtain for 2027, as the company transitions to a build-to-order model.

      If the turnaround plan succeeds and Z sales continue to grow, Pandikuthira expressed, “I would love to see a convertible version of the Z out there.”

      It’s no surprise that the enthusiast-driven executive team is prioritizing passionate models. Espinosa stated to The Drive, “Sports cars are fundamental to our identity as a company.” He made this remark just after revealing that they are already working on the GT-R.

      Later, Richard Candler, responsible for Nissan’s global corporate product strategy, told The Drive, “We are looking closely at our sports car lineup again. We all want to create some exciting vehicles.”

      This comes alongside news that the Xterra will be making a return, along with a whole range of frame-based vehicles.

      Nissan is eager to regain its excitement, and if all goes well, it seems promising for enthusiasts. Now, they just need to boost sales of the Rogue so that more limited-edition and high-performance Z variants can be offered.

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