NISMO takes next leap with 370Z NISMO Roadster Concept and GT-R LM NISMO race car

– On display at the Chicago Auto Show, full lineup of NISMO machines for the track, the street and potentially the future –

NISMO, Nissan’s performance arm, is poised to become an even greater force in the North American marketplace with its latest “takeover” at the Chicago Auto Show – four different NISMO models on sale now, two concepts and a racing machine that is ready to take on the world.

For more than 30 years NISMO has been a powerful part of Nissan, but only in recent years has the brand expanded in the United States on Nissan vehicles – first on the Z® sports car, then in 2013 on the JUKE NISMO, 2014 on the JUKE NISMO RS and most recently the mighty 442 kW 2015 GT-R NISMO.

NISMO is always looking to expand on the brand. At the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, the 370Z NISMO Roadster Concept was unveiled, a one-off design study created to gauge market interest in an ultimate factory Z® Roadster. Designed to provide the best of two worlds – the open-air driving exhilaration of a standard 370Z Roadster and the racing-inspired style and performance of a 370Z NISMO Coupe – it features unique engine, suspension, exterior and interior features versus standard Nissan 370Z Roadster models, including a 258 kW 3.7-liter V6 and NISMO-tuned suspension.

The new Z Concept sits side-by-side with the 177-plus kW Sentra NISMO Concept, first seen in 2013 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

“NISMO is the ultimate expression of Nissan's ‘Innovation and Excitement’ as a performance and personalization brand,” said Pierre Loing, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America.

“With its highly credible motorsport heritage and passionate attitude in pursuing victories and continuous performance improvement, the NISMO name is not to be taken lightly, nor are Nissans that wear the NISMO badge. This lineup helps reinforce NISMO’s goal of becoming the most recognized and respected performance brand from Japan.”

Taking on the world, one Le Mans at a time

The latest project for the NISMO team is the Le Mans P1-class Nissan GT-R LM NISMO – the ultimate Nissan GT-R, created to take on formidable competition on the highest levels. A global effort, the GT-R has been designed, engineered, built and tested by a team of carefully selected experts in Japan, the United States and Europe. Unlike other LM P1 cars, the GT-R’s V6 3.0-liter twin-turbo gasoline engine sits in the front of the front-wheel-drive car, while the hybrid power is harvested from the front driveline to augment acceleration.

This is the first time in 16 years that Nissan will be competing at the top class at Le Mans, but it has been a tour-de-force as an engine supplier in the LM P2 class with three wins over the past four years. Nissan has been also a major factor in the “Garage 56” at Le Mans, a unique program set up by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) that is reserved for innovative technology that falls outside of normal regulations, with vehicles such as the ZEOD RC, which competed in 2014.

“LM P1 cars are the most extreme sports cars in racing today and for Nissan and NISMO, the opportunity to innovate at the highest level cannot be missed,” said Darren Cox, Global Head of Brand, Marketing & Sales, NISMO. “We are excited to be going head-to-head with the best sports car racing manufacturers in the world, representing the pinnacle of current racing technology, with energy recovery systems, fuel-efficient engines and innovative aerodynamics that will be transferable to Nissan road cars of the future.”