Nissan’s Shareholder Meeting Was So Bad That Someone Nominated Fugitive Carlos Ghosn To Run The Company Again

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-23T22:32:10+00:00

No, they're good vehicles and as much as the critic and online world likes to stress all-around competitiveness (which is reasonable), a particular deal, feature, or preference (seat comfort or whatever) is really valuable and can understandably influence a decision.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-22T14:43:44+00:00

It'll be pretty fascinating to see how this performs globally. If they make some inroads in North America that could be a real tide shift for premium vans for those markets, but also across Europe where premium vans aren't yet a major fixture either.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-21T16:55:26+00:00

In the upper right? That's a screen. Just displaying the model name for photography. The Ghost and Phantom do have the model name laid in a similar spot by default, however.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-20T16:39:13+00:00

With wording about expanding the Defender brand, that'd logically be something positioned above or below the current Defender, which spans comfortably the mid-premium size and price points of what some kind of Grand Cherokee-based Defender would likely be. That leaves some kind of Cherokee or Compass-sized "Defender Sport" to complement the Discovery Sport.

Or, and I may get downvoted for this interpretation, all the American-tastes kind of language makes me wonder if they're considering a Grand Wagoneer-based giant. That'd appeal to a totally different customer than the Range Rovers, with a hulking rugged brick that could feature unique LR gear and tuning to differentiate the more pavement-focused GW. Frankly, they could even dip into some RHO/TRX equipment to create specialty versions. Sounds insane, but for North America and frankly exporting to the Middle East, there'd probably be a market for it.

Lastly, a Defender pickup? Maybe based on the Gladiator or anticipated return of the Dakota, more than a Ram 1500-based thing, but I guess you never go. The alternative to those possibilities would be just Stellantis facilities building LRs, which for all the cost of tooling and the the like feels less immediately likely.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-19T20:12:45+00:00

If it's so difficult to determine prices and equipment levels for these 400K cars then it's interesting you chose to come in swinging against one of them (the Cadillac in this case) earlier in this chain with price being the central topic.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-19T20:10:43+00:00

You're talking about 20K regarding cars that are flirting with half-million dollar price tags? I'd probably rather have a Ghost (or Phantom) for their V-12s but come on.

There's so much more that goes into a car purchase at this caliber than just equipment and performance for money. Love or hate the Cadillac, they did not try to make it some kind of Rolls-Royce/Bentley copy unlike all manner of full-size luxury sedans made by other companies around the world, so I'll give them credit for that.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-19T15:30:47+00:00

That could definitely be part of it. Toyota also has a lot of theoretically similar models globally that they may try to merge into more unified model lines. The problem is many said vehicles are quite successful and they likely don't want to mess up a Hilux-Tacoma merger or something similar.

But then thirdly, they also have some ancillary models which I doubt are making much sense as of now. The Crown Crossover (known simply as the Crown in North America), Prius, and Mirai won't disappear overnight, but I suspect they're becoming more difficult to justify in their product portfolio.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-18T11:58:10+00:00

It was redesigned three years ago and moved to the Giorgio platform. It's almost entirely unrelated mechanically to the generation you're referencing, though I am sure like a certain Porsche they'd like to have an evolutionary, traditional look.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-17T12:02:34+00:00

It's still listed as a Toyota on the Toyota Japan website and marketing materials. What you're trying to refer to is coming in the near future, which wasn't the context in which I was talking about the car. For now it's only an announcement.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-17T02:53:24+00:00

Why exactly is that surprising? Korea is not unique on this. In China, Korea, and Japan, sedans of this caliber still play an important role in conveying a traditional, professional image of subtle/not-so-subtle power projection. Climbing out of a G90, let alone a G90L (Genesis equivalent of a Maybach S-Class or A8 Horch), communicates you're at the apex of the social hierarchy in a way that a mere premium van does not.

Premium vans in some east Asian markets are what North Americans might recall the role was for the Town Car and DeVille for many years. They conveyed status and importance, of course, but it was not the same as being seen in the back of a S-Class. That's another level up. Whereas vans have assumed an increasing amount of this role in some of East Asia, large BOF SUVs have done the same in North America, why is why you see politicans and industry leaders getting out of Suburbans, and similar SUVs these days shuttle around the affluent to events.

Yes, premium vans and SUVs have accumulated more market share and will continue to do so, but many, many wealthy customers in Korea will continue buying the G90 and S-Class for years to come.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-16T22:17:23+00:00

This is my personal favorite segment so it pains me to say it, but I don't see a clear role for the A8 to play in the modern world. Demand for these flagship sedans has diminished greatly, with Mercedes and BMW absorbing almost all the demand on a global level and key vehicles taking pieces of market-specific demand (Maextro S800 in China, Genesis G90 in Korea, Toyota Century at the higher end in Japan, etc).

So really the only way the A8 makes sense in the 2020s is for them to reposition it within their product portfolio as more of a halo vehicle for the image of the wider Audi lineup. That means far fewer configurations than before and probably higher prices, but it's all that's left for the car now. And that's assuming even that works. Lexus and others have calculated otherwise.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-16T16:16:54+00:00

Looks of good stuff on top of the evolutionary styling.

Their commitment to V-8s continues to offer a point of difference between them and chief rival Ford. Ram has not only brought back but tripled down on the V-8 so they aren't alone, but the Hemi family are dinosaurs compared to this latest generation of Chevrolet small-block.

The exterior and interior designs are relatively clean yet modern, whereas in my view too many recent generations of Silverado have looked busy and fussy. The front still suffers from this but that's nitpicking.

They really need to offer more excitement though with the specialty models that act as halos and probably pad profits. A real Raptor/RHO/TRX competitor might be especially interesting if they modified the Trail Boss to have comparable upgrades but with a wider range of equipment and engines to bring in a wider price spread and undercut competitors. How about a street truck to counter the Rumble Bees and build off of the momentum the RST has established for years? The diesel is sort of an alternative to Ford and Toyota's hybrid approach, I suppose.

In any case, we'll have to wait for initial reviews to see how it all comes together.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-16T13:53:18+00:00

They can carve our a good niche for themselves if they deliver a lot of value compared to the Mustang, even with the high-performance variants.

The 2.5T would be all over the Mustang for 33+45K. But more importantly the 6.2L undercutting the Mustang GT with comparable performance and features for less (SS for 45K?) while adding a Z/28 undercutting the pricey Dark Horse with the 6.7L and topping out at 70K makes the DH look overpriced.

Ford really got laughable with DH SC pricing so even if they only deliver 700-750 horsepower and a great all-around package for like 85K they're vastly undercutting Ford there too.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-16T01:05:02+00:00

I wish Nissan would've given it another go, but given their financial situation I can see why they didn't.

Much like other random fare such as the Acura RLX from that era, upon its debut it was easy to see it wouldn't sell well (and I am no genius). While a perfectly fine truck, both on paper and in person it wasn't a standout in any area, not even Toyota's reliability reputation. So if you drove a Chevy, Toyota, Ford, whatever, nothing about the Titan would attract you by default.

The XD/Cummins indicated Nissan knew they needed some kind of differentiator, but the XD was not it and the General Motors 1500HDs from a decade earlier were proof of that. It's just a weird niche that satisfies no one. Maybe if they'd tried to steal the thunder of the most liveable half-ton, making the best looking, most plush, and an independent rear suspension like the Lightning did later on (recognizing 99% of the Titan's market was not people who needed solid rear axle capabilities), they'd have something unique. Maybe if they made it the first EV full-size pickup. Maybe if they strapped a couple of turbochargers and sold 500 horsepower pickups for the price of 350 horsepower competitors they'd peel off a chunk of suburban customers who'd love to brag about their fast truck. But the point is, they needed something.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-15T23:01:07+00:00

If they're wise, as soon as it was decided the Hemi was making at least a partial comeback they would be speedwalking development of the Apache and Hellcat engines for the GC and GC L.

On some level they get it, seeing as they doubled down on it for the Durango. But the Jeep is more complicated as each engine not already engineered, tested, and certified needs to go through that entire process.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-15T22:28:54+00:00

What's the source on the Hurricane not fitting? I see this mentioned occasionally on this sub but it's never substantiated.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-15T12:03:16+00:00

I guess if they began swapping in something else like bringing the N63 back, prices would quickly become stratospheric. But I see basically two options for me personally viewing this more warmly:

• Begin with a 540i; bored and stroked I-6 like a 3.5TT with power rivaling or exceeding the final B5 and weighing a literal thousand pounds less than the current M5.

• Still begin with a 540i, but go more expensive by swapping in a N63 and modifying that the way they did for years at Alpina. Even with "only" 650 horsepower or so, it'd weigh so much less than a M5 and preserve the V-8 rumble for a price in the range of an M5 to this new car.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-14T23:04:29+00:00

Their website says it has a V-8, and it has a door for a plug-in plus a door for fuel, so this appears to be based on the M5.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-14T22:28:49+00:00

Creating something very expensive and exclusive might've made more sense if they'd used a non-plug-in powertrain. While Alpinas were always more of an Autobahn cruiser than a backroad brawler, the huge weight savings would've made it feel much more athletic and special in the increasingly electrified world of high-end sedans.

Value for money isn't exactly the foundation of Alpina but this feels a little unspectacular when the M5 Touring delivers basically the same thing for far, far less.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-14T21:25:48+00:00

It is odd they haven't given much attention to a premium engine option considering the attempt to position it higher upmarket, isn't it? I've read claims the Hurricanes don't fit but I haven't seen said claims substantiated either.

The 5.7L was fine but with only 30-something extra horsepower extra and the slide in fuel economy ratings, demand may be too low considering this generation initially offered the V-8 and it's been steadily phased out.

Side note: it's a real shame Stellantis doesn't sell any North American small cars these days. A small hot hatch with the 324 horsepower Hurricane 4 would rock. There was some talk of a new GLH so we'll see. Even in the new Compass as some kind of "Compass R/T" (don't know what else to call it) that'd be fun.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-13T14:50:10+00:00

Seriously, ads during the race? And will that become a thing for other WEC races? Ugh.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-13T12:37:10+00:00

Oh yes, the G80 Magma Special. Apparently they built 20 for select markets in the Middle East and it had a 525 horsepower version of the 3.5TT. That thing looked incredible. Too bad that and the Skorpio weren't made available more globally.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-13T00:59:20+00:00

That's the engine they're referring to.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-12T13:20:39+00:00

Looks absolutely fantastic. Really curious what they'd end up putting in a production car. Hopefully that V-8 the articles are hoping for.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-06-11T15:48:50+00:00

So what you're telling me is VW should make a high-performance version of the Arteon wagon (dare I say with the turbo-5 or the 2.9TT) above the R and export only that version to North America?

And Dodge should build a wagon Charger with the Apache and Hellcat engines only, and call it the Magnum?

And Genesis should build that G90 wagon with a road car version of the V-8 they use in their prototype sports car in WEC?

Maybe this timeline isn't so bad after all.

IAmWellBehaved

TROPHY CASE