Nissan Motorsports has cut the ribbon on the first NISMO Performance Center built overseas. It’s in the whimsically Australian-sounding suburb of Ferntree Gully, just outside Melbourne. It’s all part of Nissan’s grand plan to expand NISMO’s presence globally.
“Our focus is on bringing the brand closer to customers in the right markets, with the right products, services and experiences. Australia is a natural priority because of its mature performance culture, strong GT‑R community and clear appetite for authentic NISMO heritage, performance parts, technical expertise and motorsport-driven experiences,” said Yutaka Sanada, global head of the NISMO brand.
The establishment of NISMO Performance Center Melbourne gives Australians a direct link to NISMO’s headquarters at the Omori Factory in Japan. The facility will sell genuine NISMO performance and heritage parts, offer the know-how of NISMO meisters, and support advanced vehicle restoration programs.
Australia’s had a strong following for Skyline GT-Rs and other performance machines from Japan. Import laws throughout the 90s and 2000s were much less restrictive than in the US, with carveouts for specialty and enthusiast vehicles that allowed in cars Americans could only dream of until recently. That, plus proximity to Japan and the fact that both countries are natively LHD, made Australia a wonderland for Nihon steel.
Nissan invited Nissan enthusiasts to Ferntree Gully to celebrate the grand opening. Rows of beautiful RB26-powered Skyline GT-Rs filled the parking area, with a few R35s and RZ34s peppered in between. There was even a C10 and R30 in the mix. The center even has an R34 S-Tune just casually parked about.
The opening of the first NISMO Performance Center outside of Japan is just the first step to Nissan Motorsports’ global expansion. In December 2025, NISMO announced an international scaling of its restoration, restomod, and parts businesses, starting with the R32, R33, and R34 Skyline GT-Rs before rolling out more models and regional programs. More centers will roll out across Australia in 2027, but it’s unknown when a center might open in America.
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Images courtesy of Nissan.
