Nismo chief: Nissan GT-R should race in V8 Supercars

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The new head of Nissan's Nismo performance division says the brand should set aside the Altima sedan and race in V8 Supercars with the GT-R performance icon.

Takao Katagiri took charge of Nismo in April ahead of a planned expansion with new models and markets that will include a strong Australian presence.

Speaking exclusively with Drive at the Nurburgring 24 Hour race, where Nissan entered three GT-R machines, Katagiri says Nissan Australia should consider campaigning the GT-R coupe in races such as the Bathurst 1000.

"If the Australian regulation has changed and the GT-R is possible to be in V8 Supercars or Supercar racing in Australia we have an advantage," he says.

"We have a strength... We have a strong technical background racing the GT-R."

V8 Supercars recently re-drafted its rule book to allow two-door body styles as well as turbocharged engines – both of which feature in the GT-R.

Katagiri says Nissan's policy is to use the GT-R as the face of its racing efforts.

"The core of Nissan is Nismo," he says.

"The core essence of Nissan is excitement and innovation, and the core of Nismo is motor racing, represented by GT-R. That's our structure.

"If we can do something in motorsport to enhance the image, the excitement, definitely we need to use motorsports and the core element of motorsports for Nissan or Nismo is the GT-R."

However, while a GT-R-based V8 Supercar is preferable from Katagiri's perspective, it does not gel with local requirements.

V8 Supercars use a control chassis and roll cage for all models. Existing body styles based on the Holden Commodore, Nissan Altima, Ford Falcon, Volvo S60 and Mercedes E-Class must be adapted to fit that frame. The GT-R's proportions don't line up well with those of an Altima or Commodore as it has a low, turret-like glasshouse and broader footprint than family-focused sedans.

While the racing Nissan GT-R GT3 Nismo drivetrain could be tuned to meet V8 Supercars' specifications, ambiguity in the draft rulebook hasn't encouraged its local operation to forge ahead with a turbocharged powerplant in place of the current V8 motor based loosely on the engine in Nissan's Patrol SUV.

There is also the question of results. Nissan has won just one race in four seasons of V8 Supercars competition marked by technical struggles when it became the first manufacturer to break Ford and Holden's duopoly in the sport.

Another hang-up surrounds its competitors. Volvo and Ford have pulled out of V8 Supercars racing, leaving the sport with an uncertain future in terms of manufacturer involvement.

Holden is likely to run a European-sourced Opel Insignia badged as a Commodore as its next-generation racing machine, and being beaten on track by a Toyota Camry rival would do little to preserve the GT-R brand.

Nissan has not publicly committed to racing in V8 Supercars beyond 2016.

Mike Carcamo, Nissan's new global motorsport director, says the manufacturer has not decided whether to stay on after the current season. 

"All of our motorsport programs are currently under review," he says.

"It's a normal process within the year to do the budgeting and planning for next year – we'll release a full announcement on all programs later in the year.

"I think [V8 Supercars] has been a very important program in Australia, as well as the GT3 program.

"I think that we will continue to review its effectiveness for both racing and marketing as well – what's important to the brand there."

Carcamo could not say whether the GT-R should take part in future V8 Supercars competition.

"The rules haven't been released yet, and that's one of the things important to us, to review what the direction is. If the direction aligns globally with the GT-R that would be great," he says. 

"It's a good platform. It's a flexible and strong platform that's easily recognised by the customers, whatever form it takes. I think that's what's important as well."

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