Japanese business leaders are reportedly urging Tesla CEO Elon Musk to step in as a strategic investor in Nissan after the company’s merger talks with rival Honda collapsed last week.

The Honda-Nissan on-again, off-again, on-again merger is the international automotive saga that keeps on giving. Now there's another twist.

Nissan stock surged but pared gains on reports the Japanese automaker had a new dance partner — Tesla. Whether a deal with the EV juggernaut makes sense is another story worth exploring.