Nissan Silvia a Chance with New CEO

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida has been fired from the top job by the company’s board, with Ivan Espinosa named as his successor – and the move could help with the revival of the brand’s most popular sportscars.

In the days prior to his departure, Uchida publicly admitted Nissan’s financial situation meant it was unlikely to survive without outside investment – this, just weeks after Nissan management walked away from a potential deal with Honda over concerns for Nissan’s independence under its new owners.

Various media reports claim Nissan has been in talks with Vietnam’s VinFast, as well as Taiwan’s Foxconn – the company that manufactures the iPhone for Apple.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has denied any interest in investing in Nissan, following industry rumours suggesting the US electric car company was investigating an acquisition.

However, Espinosa’s appointment could be good news for enthusiasts, with the executive previously admitting it was his “dream” to bring back the Nissan Silvia – sold in Australia under Gazelle, 180SX, and 200SX monikers.

The new boss had been described by his predecessor as being “full of energy” and “a real car guy,” giving hope to Nissan die-hards across the world.

In other news, Nissan announced this week it had successfully utilised quantum computing technology to organise its production processes, Japanese newspaper Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun reports.

It’s believed the streamlining of production will reduce manufacturing costs for the carmaker – not only improving profits, but making the company more attractive to investors.