Incoming Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has vowed that “driving excitement will always be at the heart” of the firm, hinting that halo cars such as the Z and GT-R will remain a key part of the brand’s future – and be offered worldwide.

The current R35-generation GT-R will finally be discontinued shortly, having been in production since 2007. However, it hasn't been offered in Europe for several years, due to emission regulations. Nor has the Z.

Asked about the importance of performance cars to Nissan, Espinosa said: “Driving excitement will always be at the heart of Nissan. This is what we do.

"There are many, many ways of explaining and showing to the world what this means, starting from the Z, which is affordable and fun to drive, to the GT-R, or even the Patrol [SUV].

“These will remain, for sure. I want to have four or five cars at the top of our portfolio that are really brand-oriented, cars that really represent what Nissan is about and show what the heartbeat of Nissan is. And these cars should go everywhere in the world.

"We keep the dream alive of what driving excitement is for. We will invest in signature Nissan models to deliver strong nameplates. Vehicles are the heartbeat of Nissan – and that includes sports cars, where we have very exciting plans.”

In 2023, Nissan revealed the Hyper Force concept, which previewed an electric GT-R successor, but Espinosa previously told Autocar that such a car had to wait until electric car technology was ready.

Asked if the firm has made any progress on that, Espinosa said the current electrification transition makes things “difficult” but “in a couple years, as the regulations start converging into more electrified powertrains, it might be easier to do this. This is what I will dream of doing.”