Car enthusiasts, celebrate. Your long-awaited moment has arrived. Automotive aficionados like you are now holding influential positions within Nissan.
In Yokohama, Japan, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, Ponz Pandikuthira, responded with a succinct affirmation during an exclusive conversation on The Drivecast when The Drive inquired about the possibility of Nissan offering a JDM retrofit kit at U.S. Infiniti dealerships for the forthcoming Q50: “Yes.”
Catch the full discussion starting from the instant Pandikuthira brightens your day below.
The sensation that just washed over you is astonishment, admiration, and thrill. Savor this moment.
To recap, just over a week ago, Nissan teased the arrival of a new Skyline sedan for the JDM market. Two days later, Chairman of Nissan Americas Christian Meunier confirmed what we all felt deep down: the new Skyline will indeed transition into the new Infiniti Q50 in the U.S., which has been hinted to be a “high-horsepower” sport sedan featuring a manual transmission.
When asked whether a JDM Skyline retrofit kit might be accessible in the U.S. with a dealership warranty, Pandikuthira didn’t settle for a simple “yes,” rather the executive took a moment to collect his thoughts.
Pandikuthira elaborated, “Let’s approach this differently. Firstly, any powertrain we introduce to the U.S. will be tunable. This way, you can collaborate with a suitable tuner. If we can provide it through the factory with all our warranties, we will. However, sometimes, if the volumes are too low, partnering with a tuner can be more advantageous. We have collaborated with tuners in the past and could potentially do it officially in the future. So, we would absolutely entertain that and ensure the supply chain is established, sharing the appropriate mapping and ECU data so that the tuner is fully equipped to deliver a perfectly functioning car. So, that’s a definite yes. But what you’re alluding to is an intriguing proposition, which we could easily explore and my planning team and I have seriously considered: what if you had an Infiniti version, since that is the correct brand and demographics to engage, but perhaps there are purists who would say, ‘You know what? I want this to resemble the Skyline in Japan or whatever car that truly honors this heritage. Help me create this.’ And we would be delighted to facilitate that. Because a purist knows what they want. It’s likely to be a very narrow, niche market, but for sure, we could manage that. There’s a culture surrounding it.”
“And those involved are quite aware, these are not individuals who frequently swap out their cars, but rather they seek to keep this collector piece secure in their garage. And we would like to make that possible,” Pandikuthira stated.
The powertrain that Pandikuthira mentioned? It will feature the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 from the Nissan Z combined with that vehicle’s 6-speed manual transmission. An automatic option will also be available for those who prefer it. How do we know this? Earlier in the podcast, Pandikuthira confirmed it. “So we’re thinking, okay, we have a fantastic powertrain with the Z. It has a three-liter twin-turbo that produces 400 horsepower. So what if we pair that manual transmission with the practicality of having a backseat and four doors? And that’s where this car concept originated,” Pandikuthira explained.
Pandikuthira’s remark, “And we would like to make that happen,” should instill hope in enthusiasts who were disheartened to find out the Skyline will indeed bear a Q50 and Infiniti badge. Begin saving now, the JDM Skyline might finally be available as a new car with a warranty in America.
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