Nissan celebrates 40th anniversary of NISMO

During September Nissan celebrated the 40th anniversary of NISMO. Established on 17 September 1984 as Nissan Motorsport International Co. Limited, NISMO, is the in-house tuning, motorsports and performance division of Nissan. The brand represents the embodiment of the company’s dedication to performance, both on the racetrack and on public roads.

Originally located in Omori, Tokyo, NISMO has served as the driving force behind some of Nissan’s most exhilarating vehicles and motorsport pursuits. The company’s ethos of ‘Track to road’ embodies its goal of delivering the ultimate Nissan performance for road car drivers, drawing inspiration and learnings from the most unforgiving proving ground, the racetrack.

An elite group of engineers and test drivers who have competed in motorsport on all levels are tasked with developing NISMO road cars that offer a uniquely thrilling and authentic experience.

These engineers are passionate about performance but they are also dedicated to the idea that the joy of owning and driving a NISMO vehicle should be available to every enthusiast which is why Nissan now offer a selection of sporty models, where everything from enhanced aerodynamics to competition-tuned suspension and race-inspired cockpits offer drivers the sweet spot between track-inspired performance and a road car that they feel comfortable driving on their daily commute.

During this celebration, visitors to the Nissan Global headquarters Gallery in Yokohama, Japan can see a mix of NISMO road-going models on display including the ultra-rare NISMO 270R and the revered NISMO 400R, alongside track icons such as the Nissan R390 GT1, which secured third place in the 1998 24 Hours of Le mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona winning Nissan R91CP and the Japanese Touring Car Championship icon, the Calsonic Skyline GT-R Group A.

In addition, vehicle’s from NISMO’s current model line-up including the recently launched Ariya, Aura Nismo and Fairlady Z NISMO are on display.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported NISMO since 1984 and we look forward to delivering speed, confidence and exhilaration for decades to come. Our longstanding ethos of track to road, continues to this day with our Super GT and Formula E factory racing programs,” said head of Nissan’s global motorsports business unit and president of NMC, Takao Katagiri.

“Our aim is to deliver exhilaration to fans at the circuit and embed the learnings from the racetrack into products that customers can buy. Our long-term goal is to progressively expand our business globally and deliver more exciting models to customers around the world,” added Katagiri.

The celebration will continue at the 2024 Nismo festival, scheduled for December at Fuji International Speedway which is dedicated to NISMO’s 40th anniversary and will pay homage to the brand’s rich heritage, racing achievements and the evolution of its high-performance road cars.