If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you know it’s mostly looked at the various meets held at parking areas in Tokyo. As fun and interesting as they all are, they’re far from the only things you can do in Japan if you’re car-crazy. There are several shops and factories you can visit as well. Here’s something that should be on every gearhead’s list: the Nismo Omori Factory near Yokohama. Bring your camera, and if you own a Nissan, bring your credit card.
About a 40 minute train ride from central Tokyo, the facility is rather small and you can’t actually go inside the factory itself. You can see through the glass, which is nice, and there’s other things to see and do and buy too.
Peek through the glass and you’ll notice how clean and spotless the workshop is. Usually most workshops are dark places where that one screw or nut gets lost for all eternity. At the Nismo factory you get the sense everyone knows where everything is at all times. There is a zen-like feel to the sheer cleanliness of the place.
Customers bring their cars here to have the technicians at Nismo work on their cars—restorations, service, new parts, the whole deal. The staff at the factory said not many people bring their cars here, not because it’s overpriced or they’re always fully booked, but rather because few seem to actually know about the services offered at the Omori Factory.
In stark contrast to the robotically clean workshop, the accessories shop is a bit more hectic, though that could just be from the last guy who was here going through the inventory finding the right part. I challenge anyone to walk into the Nismo Omori Factory and not be tempted to buy parts or accessories. It’s one hell of a souvenir shop.
And it’s very easy to go overboard. Within five minutes of browsing I found enough parts that cost more than a 2008 Nissan GT-R for ¥4,090,000 ($37,335). Note that that’s in Japan. Good luck finding one that cheap in America.
Let’s start with the big ticket stuff such as the Brembo Carbon Ceramics brakes from the R35. These can be fitted to the R32, R33, and R34 Skylines. A complete set will cost you ¥1,030,000 ($9,403).
Next up, and continuing with the carbon theme, how about a carbon fiber air cleaner for ¥527,580 ($4,816)? That would be incomplete without the carbon fibre air cleaner box for ¥517,212 ($4,722). Already we’re past what a used early-model Nissan 350Z costs in Japan.
While we’re talking about air, would sir fancy a R1 Turbo Kit? It’s compatible with the R32, R33, and R34. You might as well since you’ve already splashed out on those carbon ceramics. The turbo kit is yours for a mere ¥340,200 ($3,106).
With all that speed you’re going to need new gauges, so get one for ¥62,640 ($571). And while you’re there you might as well get a new Air Inlet Pipe for ¥167,400 ($1,528), an Oil Separator for ¥51,408 ($469), an Inlet Collector for ¥189,000 ($1,725), and a Super Coppermax High Power Spec for ¥124,200 ($1,133). Get the latter simply for the name alone.
You could pick up a complete DFV Shock Absorber for ¥311,640 ($2,844). While you’re at it you might as well throw in an Engine Oil Cooler Kit for ¥210,600 ($1,922), a Nismo Intercooler for ¥248,400 ($2,267) and a titanium front strut bar for ¥205,200 ($1,873) as well. You can pick yourself up a set of LM GT4 “Omori Spec” rims for ¥70,200 ($640). These are almost a must as they look great and makes for a good souvenir.
Finally, the small stuff such as a carbon fiber rear view mirror (it’s a necessity, really!) for ¥19,440 ($177), Nismo 50mm wheel nuts ¥12,960 ($118), a genuine R35 GT-R badge for ¥15,660 ($142), and a pack of Nismo stickers for ¥2,484 ($22) rounds it all off to a grand total of ¥4,106,243 ($37,459) including tax.
That is, unless you really go all out and buy one of the engines they have for sale there. At the time there were three engines to choose from. The first being a RB26 S2 suited for the R32, R33, and R34. In this guise it produces 400 horsepower. The cost is ¥4,300,000 ($39,230).
Stepping up, the RB26 R2 is rated at 450 HP. That extra power comes at an extra cost, of course at ¥4,800,000 ($43,788). Again, it’s compatible with the same cars as the S2.
If you want to go for the whole nine yards, then the RB26 F-Sport R for the R34 is the way to go. This one is pumping out 500 HP and costs an eye-watering ¥7,150,000 ($65,229), roughly the same as a 2012 GT-R Premium Edition.
Elsewhere, there’s a little showroom displaying some of their current products (stuff like the Note Nismo and Micra Nismo) but they also have some of their hits from the past. The displays change regularly but when I visited last weekend they had a Skyline GT-R R34 Z-Tune, quite possibly the holy grail of R34s. Unsurprisingly the only way to describe its condition would be “factory fresh.”
There’s also a subtle shrine to their motorsports victories, a whole wall dedicated to all the trophies they’ve won. They display some of their championship winning cars as well, like the R91CP prototype racer from the 1990s. Their cars have a little information screen next to them but unfortunately it’s all in Japanese.
Next to the 24 Hours champ was the Nichira Impul S110 Silvia. Underneath it’s a Group 5 racer and powering it is a 570 HP LZ20B. Or in other words more powerful than Formula One cars at the time.
As crazy and ridiculous as the Silvia looked, the R383 next to it looked even crazier. It was an evolution from Nissan’s Can-Am racer set to compete domestically in Japan. Unfortunately this car never got to compete in a race as the series it was supposed to compete it got cancelled by the Japanese racing body.
Visit the Nismo Omori Factory at your own risk. Of course it’d be ridiculous to buy everything I listed here but that was just to give you an idea of what to expect when you go there. Just be sure to bring an extra suitcase, or get that extra baggage allowance for your flight back home.