As Nissan Motorsports International (NISMO) celebrated 40 years as the in-house tuning, motorsports and performance subsidiary of Nissan Motor Company on September 17 it was perhaps no better time to visit its famed Omori Factory operations in Yokohama, Japan.

“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 long-standing ethos of track to road continues with our Super GT and Formula E factory racing programmes,” Takao Katagiri, head of Nissan’s global motorsports business unit and president of Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Company Limited (NMC), said in a press release.

NISMO was created in September 1984 as parent company Nissan sought to combine its two motorsports divisions. Originally located in Omori, Tokyo, the aim of NISMO was to design and develop race and rally cars for local and international series, something it has done with significantly positive results. NISMO has gained traction with fans of Nissan’s performance models because the company is also charged with gathering feedback from the various racing programmes and channelling that data into high-quality consumer products.

In April 2022 NISMO once again merged with Autech Japan, another tuning and conversion subsidiary of Nissan, to create NMC. From Omori Factory, NISMO plans, develops, and sells performance upgrades and competition parts for Nissan’s plethora of sports cars. As of 2012 the company has been headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, a facility just under four times as large as the old site.

In line with Nissan’s own 90th anniversary celebrations, NISMO sought to honour the past and future of both companies through motorsports and performance at Omori Factory. This is because a small rotation of important Nissans is always at the location. Visitors can check the website to see what’s on display at any time.

Starting things off on this stopover was the #32 Nissan R390 GT1 that finished third overall at Le Mans in 1998, attached to the foyer wall. Inside, the main exhibition is six cars led by the icon of Japanese sports cars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R (BNR32), otherwise known as Godzilla. This was no ordinary R32. The all-white machine featured NISMO 40th parts. These once-discontinued after-market parts, from oil filter caps to stainless steel exhaust systems, have been put back into production bearing the original NISMO logo for the anniversary celebrations. Beside it sat the 2013 Motul Autech Nissan GT-R Super GT which returned the GT-R name to Japanese motorsports in 2008. Car three set the tone for the remainder of the display, Nissan’s electric future, the LEAF NISMO RC electric race car.

Across from the LEAF NISMO RC was the Nissan Formula E Machine – Gen2, followed by the Note Aura NISMO, and the all-electric Ariya NISMO. The latter two are current vehicles on sale that can be purchased from local Nissan dealers fully loaded with NISMO parts while showcasing the parts that can be purchased individually by owners of said models. Certain display cars are open to facilitate interaction.

Beyond the exhibition, the showroom boasts a shop where many items from the NISMO performance parts catalogue can be browsed. From small trim pieces, shirts, and other swag, to full race engine and carbon fibre body parts, it’s all there to be taken in, rather than being flipped or scrolled through on a screen or appearing as a picture in a brochure. The Omori Factory Store brings each item to life and gives them a greater sheen of importance.

Sprinkled around are smaller but just as noteworthy pieces of NISMO history — helmets and trophies, and Nissan information. The icing on the cake for NISMO’s headquarters is the factory part of the name. Omori Factory is an active workshop. Behind a massive glass wall, visitors can look into the spotless garage repairing, rebuilding, and servicing an ever-changing group of customer Nissans. Peer close and many of these are rare or special edition Nissans. Should one be lucky enough, experience a tech taking one of these cars out into the yard for delivery or on the road for a quick shakedown.

NISMO closed out its 40th anniversary with the annual NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway on December 1.

“We are immensely grateful for the dedication of our fans over the past four decades. The longevity of the NISMO brand is a testament to this devoted community,” Katagiri stated before the festival.

Big tip: Make sure to check out the bathroom.