NISMO: Celebrating 40 Years of Godzilla and Beyond

Forty years ago, on the bustling streets of Omori, Tokyo, a legend was born. NISMO, the lovechild of Nissan and motorsport, first took flight on September 17, 1984, and since then, it’s been a wild ride. What started as Nissan’s pet project to dominate the racetrack soon found its way into the hearts (and garages) of everyday thrill-seekers.

The first official taste of NISMO came in 1988 with the Saurus roadster, a zippy little number built for a single-make series. But the true game-changer arrived a year later in the form of the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, which became a living, breathing legend—especially in Australia. Dubbed ‘Godzilla’ by local journos for its monstrous performance, the R32 wasn’t just a car; it was a declaration of war on the racetrack. A Group A homologation version even bore the NISMO badge, a symbol that would come to mean one thing—pure, unadulterated power.

And NISMO didn’t stop there. The R33 GT-R took things a step further by becoming the first production car to conquer the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under eight minutes. From there, it was a steady stream of mind-blowing performance cars, each earning the NISMO badge through rigorous upgrades. Whether it was the quirky Juke NISMO or the hulking Patrol NISMO, every model oozed with racing DNA.

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ABOVE: 40 years of Nissan Nismo

Fast-forward to 2016, and Aussies finally got their hands on NISMO’s magic. First, the GT-R NISMO hit our shores, followed by the 370Z NISMO in 2017 and the JUKE NISMO RS in 2018. Each car delivered that special brand of adrenaline-fueled joy only NISMO can offer. It was particularly popular with gay petrol-heads who scooped the badge up by the bucketload.

Now, as NISMO hits its 40th anniversary, it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Enter the Z NISMO—the ultimate evolution of the Z. Packing 309kW of power, 520Nm of torque, and a host of performance tweaks, the Z NISMO is ready to leave its mark on both the road and track. From its RAYS® wheels to the NISMO-branded Recaro seats, every inch of this beast screams performance.

“From Godzilla to the Ariya, NISMO has never stopped evolving,” says Sriram Padmanabhan, Nissan Australia’s Marketing Director. And he’s right—the Z NISMO is just the latest chapter in a story that’s far from over.

So here’s to 40 years of jaw-dropping performance, and here’s to whatever comes next. NISMO isn’t just a badge; it’s a lifestyle, and baby, it’s just getting started.

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