Nissan Declares May 6 “V6 Day” in a Very Unsubtle Love Letter to Combustion

• Nissan has turned May 6 into an annual celebration of V6 engines.

• The returning Xterra is expected to offer V6 and V6 Hybrid powertrains.

• Nissan used V6 Day to spotlight heritage, performance and Tennessee engine production.

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Nissan has decided that May 6 now belongs to the V6. The automaker declared the date the first annual “V6 Day,” turning “V/6” (or roman-numeral “V” for the fifth month and the date) into a corporate celebration of six-cylinder performance. This is not to be mistaken with Nissan’s equally influential series of inline-6-cylinder engines.

This is a bold, slightly mischievous move from a company that once helped define the mainstream EV conversation with the Leaf more than 15 years ago. In 2026, however, Nissan is talking up cylinders, torque, and the emotional connection to noise and vibrations

The message from Nissan Americas is quite clear: the V6 is not being treated as a legacy powertrain waiting politely for retirement. In fact, it is being presented as an active, long-term part of the brand’s North American product strategy. Christian Meunier, chairman, Nissan Americas, said the engine “will play an important role in our lineup for years to come,” adding that the returning Xterra is planned with V6 or V6 Hybrid powertrains.

This ain’t just a nostalgic social-media stunt. Nissan currently points to the Z, Armada, Pathfinder and Frontier as proof that its V6 lineup still covers sports cars, family SUVs and pickups. The company is effectively telling buyers, and perhaps reminding dealers, that it still sees room for six-cylinder vehicles in a market that has spent years being told smaller engines and eventually batteries were the entire future.

Nissan also used the self-made occasion to spotlight its U.S. manufacturing base. At its Decherd, Tennessee powertrain facility, the company recently built its 20 millionth engine, which was fittingly a V6. Nissan said the plant has produced nearly 6.5 million V6 engines since 1997.

The heritage case is equally deliberate and deserved. The automaker’s six-cylinder lineage dates back to the early 1980s VG series, which is considered one of the first mass-produced V6 engines from a Japanese automaker. It then moved through the VQ family, which landed on the WardsAuto 10 Best Engines list for 14 straight years from 1995 to 2008, and created a subculture dedicated to vehicles like the Infiniti G cars running with the VQ, which remains in production more than 30 years later.

At the top of that family tree sits the GT-R’s hand-built twin-turbo VR38DETT, assembled by Takumi master craftsmen and still central to Nissan’s performance mythology. Based on the most recently available information, the next GT-R will likely still be powered by a V6.

Nissan says V6 Day will now return every year and invites enthusiasts of all brands to join in.