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

According to a report in the Financial Times, unnamed sources close to Honda said that the automaker would be willing to resume talks only if Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida stepped down and retired. Last Tuesday, the Financial Times reported Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe’s relationship with Uchida had deteriorated after Honda’s boss finally understood the depth and breadth of the company’s financial mismanagement. Then, another twist.

My personal thought: Nissan’s Board of Directors will boot him if they think this merger is crucial.