- One of our favorite
car companies of all time has gone through a rough couple
of years, to put it lightly. (intense music) - There have
been class-action lawsuits, recalls, scandals, bad cars, bad blood. And that's not even mentioning the elephant in the boardroom, one Carlos Ghosn. - In this final chapter
of our Nissan saga, we're gonna take a look
at how Nissan was failing, how they plan to turn it around, and finally, what we think of the new Z. Will it be enough to bring
Nissan back from the brink? We'll see. (intense music) - [Uncle Jerry] Thanks to Keeps
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to hit that like button, because we've hacked the algorithm and figured out that's the best way to serve our car videos to
everyone and their grandmas. Thank you very much. If you've been following along with our previous installments
on the Nissan scandal, you already know that a lot has happened. For anyone who hasn't, I'll
try to sum it up real quickly. (upbeat music) - Ever since the merger between Nissan Mitsubishi and Reneault, way back in the late 90s, there's been some bad blood between Nissan Executives
and Carlos Ghosn, who is seen as an outsider that didn't understand the
Japanese way of doing business. And to their credit, he did
a lot of questionable things while managing the giant conglomerate. - Most of his decisions paid off, and made it possible for Nissan to continue putting out cars. But some choices Carlos
made drew criticism within the company, and
made a lot of people mad. Mass layoffs and cost-cutting truly saved Nissan from
the brink of bankruptcy. But in the process, the brand
became diluted and cheapened. Nissans became the default fleet vehicle because they were dirt cheap, turning a once well-respected
brand into somewhat of a joke. Sorry, a Juke.
(drum riff) (audience booing) (laughs) - Shoddy craftsmanship, plastic parts that broke easily, CVTs, depressing interiors, you name it. If it was gonna save
a buck, Nissan did it. While this is ultimately what saved them, and made it possible for the cool Nissans we love that came out around
this time to be produced, like the 350z, 370, and GTR, resentment within the company was beginning to grow
behind Carlos Ghosn's back. Then in 2018, Carlos Ghosn was arrested
by Japanese authorities for allegedly under-reporting his income by a factor of millions of dollars. - From an outside perspective, Ghosn was almost certainly guilty, and Nissan made sure to
paint him as a villain in order to save face
and prove to investors that the slumping sales were almost certainly because of Ghosn. The new leadership meant
a new profitable direction for the company after
many bad fiscal quarters mired in scandal. While Ghosn was rotting in a Japanese jail awaiting his trial, Nissan
cycled through CEO after CEO, each resigning after they
couldn't turn the profits around. Then something happened
that no one ever saw coming, this part is insane. On a calm night at Japan's Kansai Airport, on December 30th, 2019, Carlos Ghosn stuffed himself into a box used for transporting audio equipment. You know, those big black crates? They usually have like a
stenciled name on there of like a band you don't really like, like Imagine Dragons or Twenty One Pilots. With the help of an
American ex-Green Beret, and his son, Ghosn was
loaded onto a private jet. He had gotten out on bail in March, and was still under indictment,
unable to leave the country. If he had simply tried
to walk through security, he would have been detained immediately. But since the audio box is too big to fit through the X-ray machine, it allowed it to be loaded onto the plane, without anyone looking at it. The plane took off close to midnight, and landed in Istanbul the next day. From there, Ghosn took a second jet to Beirut, Lebanon, his childhood home, and a country that has no
extradition laws with Japan. Worked out. If this sounds like a
Hollywood movie to you, you're not alone There's actually a movie being made about the American
ex-Green Beret and his son, starring Oscar winner, Sam Rockwell. That's real, and I can't wait for it. Dude, Sam Rockwell rules. So why did Ghosn flee in the first place if he claims he's innocent? Well, there's something you need to know about Nissan's motive and
the Japanese justice system. Japan has a 99.4% conviction rate, meaning almost 100% of people accused of crime are convicted. That means theoretically, if Carlos Ghosn went through with the trial, he would have almost certainly been convicted of his
crimes and face jail time. He claimed in interviews, he
was set up by Nissan Execs. And I'll be honest, at first,
I didn't really believe him. Go ahead, roll that clip. - In an interview, Ghosn was quick to point out how allegedly Nissan set him up. - But after more details came out from leaked internal emails between execs, the truth became clear that there was a conspiracy
to frame Carlos Ghosn. We have since apologized to Ghosn, and rolled back our accusations
because we are human. We make mistakes. And also, he knows ex-Green Berets. I apologize to you, Mr. Ghosn. I'm sorry we passed judgment on you before all the facts came out. Carlos has since been hiding
out in Lebanon ever since, giving interviews once in a
while to try and clear his name. Meanwhile, the Japanese
government is pressuring Lebanon to rethink the extradition of Ghosn. Needless to say, this
international political nightmare wasn't great for business. So Nissan has been taking steps, to let's say, refocus the narrative, introducing their plans
to move past it all, and focus on what really matters: making their cars good. (upbeat music) Nissan unveiled their Nissan
Next strategy in 2020, as a plan to take the company
into its next chapter, and use it like one of those men-in-black, memory-erasing lights. So people forgot about the
last 10 to 15 years of Nissan. The plan highlighted a redesign of all that Nissan has to offer. Plus upgraded generations, a new Z, and an all new electric platform. In fact, Nissan CEO, Ashwani
Gupta, said in his presentation that they were using
Nissan next, to quote, - [Ashwani] Redefine our
business, our culture, and our product. - From A to Z. And then he stood in
silence for a few seconds, as no one clapped, maybe 'cause they didn't
understand the alphabet. (chuckles) One of the biggest, the
most surprising updates is that we're gonna see a new Frontier, which hasn't seen a new
generation since 2004. Well, I mean, you know, they dress it up, make it look nicer, but it's essentially been
the same for that long, which is insane. - I gotta say, the
2022 Frontier looks great, albeit the capabilities are a little less than its competition, namely the Chevy Colorado
or the Jeep Gladiator. But hey, it's a step
in the right direction for a company that is known
for taking their sweet time introducing next-gen vehicles. Like seriously, it looks- it looks good. It looks really good. Along with the Frontier,
we also got a glimpse of the new updated Pathfinder, which I actually haven't seen yet. Let me- let's see here. That does look nice. Ooh,
what's this off-roady one? Eh, this is the nice-
I'm all right with that. Whoa, Pathfinder, I haven't
seen you since before COVID, you've been working out? The 2022 Pathfinder's bigger
and bulkier than ever. Now can seat up to eight people. The best part is Nissan
got rid of the continuously variable transmission in the Pathfinder. So no more cheap CVT problems. And mind you, I still can't
afford any of these vehicles, but it's fun to get lost
in the fantasy, isn't it? I'm imagining me, over-landing
in that Pathfinder, truly finding some paths of my own. (uplifting music) - Paths of my own. Paths of my own. Woaaa, Pathfinder. As for EVs, Nissan is making
their entry-level electric car, the Leaf, a lot more attractive
for ballers on a budget. The range stays about the
same at about 150 miles, but the electric motor is more powerful, and quick-charging ports are now standard. The updated Leaf is
actually thousands less than the previous-gen. That's right, the base Leaf is more than $4,000
less than the 2021 Leaf. And when you add the $7,500
EV government incentives, that puts the MSRP right above $20,000, that's pretty amazing. Even the high-end trim
level, the Leaf S Plus, is only $26,000 after the
rebate, that's awesome. This is a pretty sick development, considering EV's like the BMW i3, which has the same range,
starts at close to $45,000. Nissan understands how to move forward, especially with electric, and that's evidenced by their new EV, the Ariya, priced at around $40,000. The Ariya electric SUV is taking aim at Tesla's model Y,
although I think it looks a bit cooler, specially
in akatsuki copper. The specs stack up to the model Y as well, with 389 horsepower in
the performance version, of top range of 310 mile-per-charge, in the long-range trim level. Very cool. Not specific to any one
car that Nissan makes, but throughout their whole lineup, interiors are getting upgraded. Because let's be honest,
the past couple of decades, Nissan interiors have been pretty... meh. Before this starts to sound
like a Nissan commercial, though, I want to reiterate
that they maybe tried to frame Carlos Ghosn, and cover it
up, and that that sucks. (applause) - Hello, New York City, I'm Cody Walker. And now it's my great pleasure, to introduce for the very first
time, the all-new Nissan Z. (car revving) - We've all seen the new Z by now. And overall, it's gotten a great
reception from enthusiasts. The z35 is inspired by basically
every generation before it, and you can find styling
cues all over the car to prove that. There's the front fascia that was inspired by the original 240, the taillights inspired by the z32, even the gauge cluster
and boost gauge placement is a nod to the old Zs. While this car is respected by old heads, and young heads alike, it's beautifully modernized
and has something for everyone. And I really love it. As far as the powertrain goes, our suspicions were
correct when we guessed it would have the twin-turbo V6 engine from the Infiniti Q50 and
Q60, it makes 400 horsepower. Hence why people think the z35 will be called the foreign Z. Those 400 horsepower
sent to the rear wheels, either through a 9-speed
automatic or a 6-speed manual. I just want to say that it's awesome Nissan is still offering new
Zs with a third pedal in 2021. Great job, guys. When they said that it
would have a manual, I didn't even know that there
was a crowd in the audience. This is when the crowd cheered the most. (audience cheering) - Even Ashwani
started punching the air. This shows that even though it might mean more cost to them, at the end
of the day, to offer manual, they're still willing to give the fans what they want out of this car. Speaking of cost, at a
cost of around $40,000, the new Z price is exactly where
we predicted it would fall. The optimist in me was hoping for $35,000, but that might've been wishful
thinking, in retrospect. But the 40 grand price tag
falls in line with the 370, if you count for inflation, Ashwani said in his
presentation, that quote, - [Ashwani] The Z has always been an accessible sports car. - And that's true. When the 240 debuted in 1969, it was meant to be an
affordable alternative to American sports cars. And that's still true. I'm sure the highest trim will
probably be close to $50,000, but for a 400 horsepower sports car, that's still attainable
for a lot of people. I think in my head, any
criticisms towards the new Z is that maybe Nissan
didn't go hard enough. I don't know, maybe we'll see a refresh where they break away a little
bit from the retro styling, and start to do something new. Maybe we'll see that in
like five, seven years, or in the case of Nissan, 15 years. Take the Corvette CA for example, right, obviously a Corvette,
very Chevy, very Corvette. But if you put it next to the C7, it looks a lot different. Chevy took a big swing and it paid off, everyone wants one of those things. That being said, if anyone
from Nissan is watching this, I still think the Z looks amazing. I really want one, it's on
my short list of cars to get. Everyone wants one. So overall the
new Z is pretty much as we predicted. Nissan luckily didn't surprise
us with any curve balls, so, at least for now. There's no doubt in my mind
that when the Z goes to market in the US in spring of 2022,
it will be in high demand. Most people who are gonna
buy one will buy a Z regardless of what's in the
headlines about Carlos Ghosn, or anything related to Nissan. Z fans are hardcore. And from what I've seen so far, the z35 is a great next chapter, in the more than 50-year lega-Z. Just made that up, Nissan,
you can use that if you want. Just send the royalties
to 6969 Sheeeeesh Street. Goddammit.
(Joe and Graham laugh) So now that we know what to
look forward to with the new Z, what should we see from
Nissan in the future? - As a Nissan
fan, I think the company is taking the correct steps forward when it comes to turning
their public image around. There's a lot of history
behind that badge. There's a lot of fans
that have been turned off over the decisions the company has made over the last few decades. If Nissan can make balanced, reliable cars like they did in the 80s and 90s, and stop cutting corners,
when it comes to things like plastic parts and CVTs and whatnot, they should be able to
win over a new group of young enthusiasts
that grew up in a time where Nissans were cheap, fleet vehicles. Obviously I do not have a business degree, and this is a total
armchair-quarterback speak, but I think they're taking the right steps to achieve that goal. And now that the
Z has been taken care of, what I would love to see
is a new GTR as well. Possibly the biggest
complaint you see about Nissan is that they are very
late to update models. Think about it. The 370z was in production for 11 years. Now think about how much
technology has advanced from 2008 to 2020; that's way too long. And it's not even the oldest. The GTR, Nissan's halo car,
and a symbol of their legacy, has been produced in its current state with minor refreshes here
and there and some updates, since 2007; 14 years. I know sports cars don't
make a ton of money for car companies, but this car is Nissan. If there were any symbol
of a company's vitality, this is it. And they've let it
become a little stagnant. Nissan, if you're listening,
use all this interest you drummed up from the Z presentation, and your new models, to
motivate your engineers to design the next GTR. The next generation of car
enthusiasts deserves an R36, so they can feel the same excitement we felt watching Godzilla tear
up the track back in the day. Or talk about how we
would improve delivery on Paul Walker's R34 in the
second "Fast and Furious". That new generation of enthusiast
deserves, if nothing else, a benchmark of modern
performance printed on a poster that they can hang in their bedroom, assuming kids still do that. I think kids just like
lights now, led lights. I hope Nissan is back,
because at the end of the day, I'm a Z boy, and I want more fun cars. - Give her the beans, James! - Give it the beans. - Give it some beans.
- That's the beans. - I gave it too many beans.
- Couple beans. - Give her the (beep) beans, James! - Gimme some beans, baby.
- Forward! Oh... - We said it a lot, you heard it a lot, and now it's on a freaking shirt. - The Give It The Beans
t-shirt is officially here. It's got a cool Give It
The Beans hit on the front. And a Tacoma with all the
high-low fixin's on the back. Get yours right now,
donutmedia.com, only $29.98, which is so much less than $30. Get yours before supplies run
out, and give it the beans. (truck revving) - That's enough beans. Thank you so much for
watching "WheelHouse". If you're a big donut super freak, and you want more content, check out the donut underground by hitting that join button down below, you'll get access to our discord server, you'll get behind-the-scenes videos that no one else has seen, director's cuts of some high-low episodes that you're gonna wanna check out. Follow donut on all social media at donutmedia for donut updates. Follow me on my life
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It's very hot in here.
