Nissan's impressively quick turnaround is going well, so what should the company do with that momentum? How about off-roaders that go beyond what it does now and instead chase the likes of Ford's Ranger Raptor? Nissan is already doing that locally in some markets, and now the head of Nismo said it could venture even further into the off-road segment.Nissan's Nismo performance brand has a surprisingly broad range of products. It has vehicles that range from the track-ready Nissan Z Nismo to custom Navara pickups made for the Outback (the Australian one, not the Subaru), and it could launch more of the latter. Nismo Says 'Expect Some' Off-Road Performance Models NissanAs reported by CarExpert, Nismo global CEO Yutaka Sanada told a group of media that "[The] overall performance expectation is wider and wider and wider. I highlight, the focus market [is] not only Australia, but also the United States and Middle East."Naturally, you can consider Nismo is considering some offer as a business to this. [There is] obviously a big customer [base] behind that, so know that – when, how – as a formal product offer … you can expect some," he said.If Nissan, and by extension Nismo, venture further off the beaten track, they'll soon have more vehicles to use as a starting point. The company is working on a new body-on-frame platform that will be used to create the next Frontier pickup and a Pathfinder SUV, as well as the new Xterra. Any one of those could welcome the off-road treatment.In Australia, Nissan already has that Ranger Raptor fighter, and it had a similar version of the Patrol SUV (sold in the US as the Armada). The Patrol Warrior had 35-inch tires, a two-inch lift, and underbody protection.Nissan Australia's Navara Warrior added a winch-ready bumper, new bash plates, lifted suspension, and all the cosmetic changes you'd expect in a rig like that. Instead of Nismo doing the work, though, it was done locally.Having an outside company do the work, even if it is a company that has been doing local conversions and special editions for the big manufacturers for 30 years, has to hurt. Nismo will definitely want its own badge on future models if the business case makes sense. With the growing popularity of off-roaders right now, it could soon make sense.In the US, Nissan is preparing a next-generation Xterra with V6 power, which could also be a prime candidate for the Nismo treatment to rival the Bronco Raptor. Image Boost Could Be Perfect Timing Nissan Nissan could use the image boost right now. Automakers in the US don't break out sales of the enthusiast versions of their line, but the demand (and profits) must be large. Otherwise, we wouldn't have three different Ford Raptor models, three different hard-core off-road Ram pickups, a handful from GM, and multiple TRD Pro models from Toyota.Both the company and its fans could use the shine that a Nismo off-roader would give it. Something beyond Pro-4X could give the brand the boost (and customers in showrooms) that it needs.If they're looking for inspiration, we have a suggestion that is already in the building. The Nismo Off Road Frontier V8 concept from 2022 used Nissan's 5.6-liter V8 from the Titan along with a wider and taller suspension, external reservoir shocks, a bed-mounted spare, and more. Even without the V8, this would be a great place to start.