NISMO Celebrates Four Decades Of Motorsport Legacy

Marking its 40th anniversary, NISMO hosts a special exhibition and festival showcasing its iconic models, which have helped shape racing and drifting.

NISMO, Nissan’s performance division, celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of racing heritage and high-performance road cars with a special exhibition and event.

The Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama showcases a mix of rare NISMO road cars and iconic race vehicles, offering visitors a glimpse into the brand’s rich history.

The celebration continues with the 2024 NISMO Festival on December 1 at Fuji International Speedway. This year’s event is dedicated to the anniversary and will showcase the brand’s motorsport achievements and the evolution of its high-performance road cars.

For any racing or drifting fans lucky enough to live in Japan or visit during this period, these are rare opportunities to witness some of the legendary cars that NISMO has produced.

The Icons On Display In Yokohama

Visitors at the Yokohama event can see the legendary NISMO 400R and track icons like the Nissan R390 GT1, which secured third place at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The display also includes the Nissan R91CP, winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the Calsonic Skyline GT-R Group A, a legend in the Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC).

Looking Back Over NISMO’s History

Since 1984, NISMO has been the driving force behind Nissan’s motorsports success. The Nissan Skyline GT-R earned its “Godzilla” nickname after dominating Japanese touring car racing in the early 1990s.

NISMO’s Impact On Drifting

While primarily focused on track performance, NISMO also benefited the drifting world along the way. Special variants of the drifting fan favorites, the 350Z, and 370Z, became highly sought-after among enthusiasts willing to spend a little extra for some OEM JDM rarity.

The Nissan 350Z NISMO (2007-2008) retained the standard model’s 306 horsepower 3.5L V6, with improvements focusing on handling and aesthetics. It featured a Yamaha-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes, RAYS wheels, and an aggressive body kit. Only 1,607 units were produced.

Shortly after, the Nissan 370Z NISMO (2009 onwards) boosted the power to 350 horsepower, an 18-hp increase over the standard 370Z’s 3.7L V6. It also boasted a 25% stiffer chassis, enhanced aerodynamics, and later added Recaro seats. They also introduced Nissan’s SynchroRev Match system for smoother downshifts.

The latest drift-ready RWD NISMO variant is the Nissan Z, and several variants of the Skyline were made. The 180SX S13 and S15 Silvia‘s received various limited edition parts, while the S14 received a far more significant NISMO upgrade…

The NISMO 270R – A Drifting Unicorn

Among the road-going models displayed at the Yokohama event is the ultra-rare NISMO 270R, the “unicorn” NISMO variant for drifters.

The 270R is a limited-edition S14 Silvia that significantly outperformed its standard counterpart. While the stock S14 Silvia’s SR20DET engine produced 220 horsepower, the 270R’s tuned version delivered 270 horsepower – a substantial 50-hp increase.

NISMO produced only 50 units of the 270R in 1994, making it extremely rare and highly sought-after. Right now, we can only find one for sale, with a price tag of $125,000, despite having almost 100,000 miles on the clock. It’s not a huge surprise, given that even stock 240SXs are shooting up in price.

When mint examples emerge, they’re typically reserved for collectors keen to add to their collection. Thankfully, some owners are still willing to drive them properly.

When NISMO Drifted Into The Record Books

Much to the surprise of many, NISMO decided to take things a step further in 2016 when a heavily modified rear-wheel drive Nissan GT-R NISMO set a Guinness World Record for the fastest drift ever recorded at 189.49 mph.

This 1,380-horsepower beast, piloted by drifting legend Masato Kawabata, showcased NISMO’s engineering capabilities across various motorsport disciplines.

We look forward to many more years of watching NISMO push the boundaries of performance on the track and hopefully smashing more records in the drifting scene.

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