Yahoo Autos Nissan Celebrates 40 Years of Nismo with Super-Cool R32 GT-R Parts
Back in the fall of 1984, Nissan was looking for a way to beef up its performance offerings internally. Aftermarket tuners were already rabidly modifying models like the 300ZX and Skyline coupe, but Nissan was looking to climb in on the action. The result: the company formed its own tuning wing, which we now know as Nismo.
Originally headquartered in Omori, Tokyo, the Nismo name is now synonymous with some of Nissan's coolest models — and now, the brand is encouraging you to make some modifications to your own hot ride. That is, at least if you own an R32-generation Skyline GT-R. Nismo has just released a set of parts for the R32 in celebration of Nismo's 40th anniversary — and it's not just the branding that makes these parts cool.
A classic facet of tuning culture is modifying your exhaust, so Nismo is offering a full-length stainless steel system for the R32. Nissan says that the system is the best of both worlds, featuring a sports catalyst and compliance with safety standards while also maximizing the performance and tone of the RB26DETT inline-six engine. (Notably, there is a center silencer included in the system, meaning proximity volume will only be around 89 decibels.) The total cost for this front-to-back system comes in at 640,000 Japanese yen, or around $4300.
Other notable parts include an increased diameter intake manifold, said to improve mid-range torque and is priced at about $1600, and a thicker intercooler, which also costs around $1600. Yet while these engine parts are enticing on their own, the more intriguing offerings come in the form of suspension enhancement and interior improvement.
Strut tower bars offer improvement in rigidity (at least, compared with not having them), but being able to say that your R32 GT-R is sporting a properly replicated version of the part from the Nismo 400R is a big deal. For the 40th anniversary, Nissan is reproducing the titanium strut tower bar for the small price of $1100, complete with distortion measurements provided by Nissan to prove its worth.
However, this writer's favorite part of the batch is the 350mm genuine leather steering wheel. As connoisseurs of the right-sized steering wheel here at Road & Track, the classic three-spoke shape and seemingly small diameter of the steering wheel is a welcome modification. The team at Nismo did their due diligence in confirming that instrument visibility is unaffected by the steering wheel change. Coming in at around $1000, this is an expensive steering wheel to be sure, but not that far off from offerings from reputable manufacturers like Sparco.
To top it off, Nissan has teamed up with Sabelt to offer four-point harnesses, which the carmaker says are only for track use. Notably, however, the harnesses are some of the cheapest parts on the extensive list, coming in at around $650.
Though these parts are tailored to R32 GT-R owners, even if you don't have one, it's fun to peruse through and see how an automaker chooses to honor its performance wing and customers. And with a company ethos of “Track to road,” well, it's not hard to see why we've always had an appreciation for the Nismo name here.
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