Nismo confirmed for Australian launch

$300,000 supercar on the way in 2017.

David McCowen

22:0604 October 2016

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Nismo confirmed for Australian launch

At long last, Nissan has finally locked in plans to bring its high-performance Nismo brand to Australia.

The new GT-R Nismo arrives locally in February, packing race-honed aerodynamics and a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that produces 441kW and 652Nm of grunt - more power, but less torque than Porsche's top-end 911 Turbo S.

Nissan's new flagship features plenty of track-derived technology including carbon fibre elements for the bodywork and large turbochargers borrowed from the Bathurst 12 Hour-winning Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3.

Priced from $299,000 plus on-road costs, the model is the most expensive Nissan in Australian history, an exclusive proposition that will initially be restricted to existing owners of the current GT-R coupe.

Nissan Australia boss Richard Emery says the model will be sold through select Nissan Performance dealers, and that the waiting list for the hand built machine is likely to extend well beyond 12 months.

Emery defended delays in Nismo's local launch, saying its local plan centred on "making sure the timing was right".

"There's always been the motivation, from our perspective, to launch Nismo in Australia. I think I've been on the record saying I would like to have it happened faster," he says.

"We think now is the right time. We can see the follow-up and the future of the line up into the future.

"We believe Nismo has a significant opportunity to provide an emotional connection to our brand that hard perhaps been missing."

The GT-R Nismo will be joined by other models in following years. Without saying exactly which car is on the menu, Emery confirmed that the next Nismo model will be based on a current production car offered in Australia. Expect the Nissan Juke Nismo RS or Nissan 370Z Nismo to arrive locally in 2018.

The Nissan boss says local Nismo models must be authentic.

"Nismo can't be about spoilers and alloy wheels and a stripe. It needs to be bedded around real performance offerings," Emery says.

"We wanted to ensure that we had a Nismo product plan that just didn't deliver one car.

"I would have an expectation that we will add another car in the next 12 months."