At some point in your life you may have wondered, “Ahat exactly is NISMO®?” If you’re a car enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of the 2016 Nissan GT-R — but what about the GT-R NISMO®? If you were to compare both versions side by side, they look virtually the same, so what’s different about a NISMO® vehicle? The difference lies in engineering. NISMO® vehicles are born and bred for powerful racing performance.

 

  • NISMO® is both a part of and separate from Nissan

To start, we’ll tell you what NISMO® stands for — Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. This means that NISMO® is the performance division of Nissan. Basically, NISMO® designs Nissan vehicles for racing events.

The Nissan Motorsports division emerged after two separate Nissan motorsport departments merged in 1984. The purpose of NISMO® was to create specialized sports cars that would compete in racing competitions across the globe, but also be available in road car versions for the general public.

 

  • They offer more than just racecars.

Since their founding in 1984, NISMO® has dabbled in more than just racecars. They also provide NISMO®-level trims on the domestic versions of their current race models, the Juke, 370z, and GT-R.

While NISMO® has always produced street versions of their top racing cars, they have recently released a concept for a new car — the Nissan Sentra NISMO®. Taking a classic Nissan sedan and turning it into a supercar is the first step towards compact performance sedans. Although we do not for sure when the NISMO® Sentra is coming out, we do know that it is projected to have an engine offering 240-plus horsepower.

There are also NISMO® original automobile parts and other merchandise for sale. With NISMO® auto parts sold and installed by Nissan, you are guaranteed all of the powerful performance of a supercar in your road version. You can get everything from NISMO® apparel, to high-compression cylinder heads and advanced suspension kits.    

 

  • They have a proven history of racing success.

NISMO® offers more than just a name, it is also provides proven racing results. For over thirty years they have won multiple championships and titles. From these races and rallies, NISMO® gathers vital information for future engineering advancements.

In their first year alone, NISMO® won three competitions with the Silvia Turbo C, 240 RS and Fairlady Z.

Flash forward past dozens of wins and awards later, the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 took an overall victory at the Bathurst 12-hour race in 2015.

As far as NISMO stats in 2016, the two Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 cars and drivers entered for the season have been performing up to par. Placing among the top 5 in the majority of their races including the, St. Petersburg World Challenge and the Long Beach round of the Pirelli World Challenge.  

Top 3 Cars in NISMO® History

NISMO® has produced a variety of supercars that have either soared or fell flat in terms of success. Here we will outline the 3 best cars produced by NISMO® throughout history.

 

  • Nissan R390 GTI – The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the oldest sports car races in history, and is often considered the most prestigious. In the 1990s, not long after the formation of NISMO®, Nissan decided to enter a supercar into the race. NISMO® designed the Nissan R390 GTI — one of the most prestige race cars of its time. This R390 GTI offered a 3.5L V8 engine with a six-speed transmission and rear wheel drive. Determined to be one of the fastest cars ever, the R390 GTI could go from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and finish a quarter mile in a little over 11 seconds with a top speed of 220 mph.

 

  • Nissan Skyline GT-R R32-34 – While the Nissan Skyline GT-R has been discontinued, it served for years as one of NISMO®’s top supercars, and also as the inspiration for the modern Nissan GT-R. With three generations, R32, R33, and R34 produced from 1989-2002, the Skyline was a major threat on the track. With a turbocharged 2.6L V6 engine and 276 horsepower and all-wheel drive, the Skyline GT-R took much of the competition by surprise.

 

  • Nissan GT-R This legendary Nissan supercar is nicknamed Godzilla for a reason. Simply put, this car is a powerhouse. Reaching upwards of 600 horsepower this NISMO® car has outstripped many more expensive sportscars. Not only does the GTR NISMO® destroy the competition with power, it handles like a dream thanks to NISMO®-tuned suspension, dual clutch transmission, and all-wheel drive.