Nissan to add more Nismo vehicles to lineup
New division will crank up development of more performance-oriented Nissan models.
The stable of sportier Nissan Nismo street cars will be growing in the coming years, thanks to the formation of the Nismo Cars Business Department. The new division will pool together the resources of Nissan, Nissan Motorsports International and various other groups under the company umbrella to plan, develop and bring more Nismo-badged road cars to market in a shorter time frame.
To enthusiasts, the Nismo name represents the pinnacle of factory performance on Nissan's sports cars like the 370Z and GT-R, which feature extensive engine, chassis and styling upgrades over their base model counterparts.
More Nismo streets cars are on the way.
However, in recent years, the Nismo badge has trickled down to some broader-reaching vehicles like the Juke crossover and most recently, the Sentra here in the US. Unlike the sports cars, the Nismo upgrades to the Juke and Sentra forgo power upgrades and focus more on suspension and visual tweaks. The Juke Nismo RS is an exception, though, and does get a power boost.
Today, sales of Nismo street cars accounts for roughly 15,000 units per year, which is certain to grow with the arrival of more product in key markets such as North America, Japan, Europe and the Middle East.
Does this mean we'll be seeing an Altima Nismo or a Rogue Nismo in the not-too-distant future? It's certainly a possibly, but the Nismo treatment for those models will likely follow the template used for the Sentra Nismo, with most of the work centering around handling and styling modifications.