Peter Lyon
September 20, 2024
It was the first time that Toyota’s ex-CEO Akio Toyoda had visited Nissan’s global HQs in Yokohama. Nissan was there to celebrate NISMO’s 40th anniversary and rival Toyota’s top dog was there to celebrate the day with Nissan’s top management including president and CEO Makoto Uchida.
Established in 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 been the driving force behind some of Nissan’s most exhilarating vehicles and motorsports pursuits. The company’s ethos of ‘Track to road” embodies its goal to deliver the ultimate Nissan performance for road car drivers, drawing inspiration and know-how from the most unforgiving proving ground – the racetrack.
In celebration of the milestone, visitors to Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama, can easily see a mix of NISMO road-going models such as the ultra-rare NISMO 270R, and the revered NISMO 400R, alongside track icons such as Nissan R390 GT1, which secured 3rd place in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona-winning Nissan R91CP and Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC) icon, the Calsonic Skyline GT-R Group A.
Additionally, vehicles from NISMO’s current Japan domestic model line-up, including the recently launched Ariya NISMO, AURA NISMO, and Fairlady Z NISMO are on display. The exhibition runs until 15th October 2024.
Head of Nissan’s global motorsports business unit and president of NMC Takao Katagiri said “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 with our Super GT and Formula E factory racing programs.”
Speaking to the future, Katagiri said “Our aim is to deliver exhilaration for fans at the circuit and embed the learnings from the racetrack, into products customers can buy. Our long-term goal is to progressively expand our business globally, delivering more exciting NISMO models to customers around the world.”
CARLIST THOUGHTS
For fans, the celebration continues with the 2024 NISMO Festival, scheduled on December 1 at Fuji International Speedway (in Shizuoka Prefecture). This year’s festival is dedicated to NISMO’s 40th anniversary, paying homage to the brand’s rich heritage, racing achievements and the evolution of its high-performance road cars.
