Nissan's motorsport history predates Nismo's formal establishment. Prince Motor Company, a forerunner brand later absorbed by Nissan, entered competitive motorsport in 1964. Prince's debut at the Japanese Grand Prix on 3 May 1964 saw the Skyline 2000GT (S54) take positions second through sixth, finishing behind only the Porsche 904.
The two departments that formed Nismo in 1984 were Oppama Works (Publication Division 3), based at the Oppama factory and supporting privateer teams, and Omori Works (Special Car Testing Division), based at the Omori plant and responsible for factory operations. Following the merger, the consolidated organisation specialised in sports car racing while also supporting domestic Formula 3 competitors.
Nissan joined the IMSA GT Championship in 1979 competing in GT categories with the 240SX, 280ZX, and 300ZX. From 1985 to 1993, Nissan entered the main GTP class with the GTP ZX-Turbo and NPT-90. Geoff Brabham won four consecutive GTP drivers' championships with Nissan from 1988 to 1991. Nissan also won the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1989, 1990, and 1991.
In parallel, Nissan contested the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans through the 1980s and early 1990s with sports prototypes including the R88C, R89C, R90C, and R391. The factory effort claimed the Japanese championship in 1990, 1991, and 1992 but never achieved an overall Le Mans victory. Notable drivers of this era include Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiko Kageyama, and Toshio Suzuki.
In 2009, Nissan entered the FIA GT1 World Championship with a Nismo-developed GT-R. Drivers Krumm and Lucas Luhr took the drivers' championship in 2011. From 2011, Nismo produced the GT-R GT3, which competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series and at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Nismo also maintains a Nismo Global Driver Exchange programme that sends factory drivers to major events including Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Dubai, and the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Nissan announced in June 2014 that Nismo would enter the LMP1 category for the FIA World Endurance Championship. After a disappointing performance at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, the remaining 2015 schedule was deferred. In December 2015, Nissan announced the full cancellation of the LMP1 programme. From 2011 to 2016, Nissan served as an LMP2 engine supplier in the World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series, supporting teams including Greaves Motorsport, G-Drive Racing, and SMP Racing.
In the 1980s, Nissan competed in the Fuji Grand Champion Series with Group 5 Bluebird, Skyline, and Silvia silhouette cars, and in the Japanese Touring Car Championship with production Skylines. In the 1990s, Nissan ran the Primera in Supertouring championships, winning the 1999 British Touring Car Championship with Laurent Aïello. From 2013, Nissan competed in the Australian Supercars Championship with Kelly Racing fielding four Nissan Altimas; factory backing concluded at the end of the 2018 season.
Nissan entered Formula E by taking over Renault's partnership with e.dams for the 2018-19 season, forming Nissan e.dams. In April 2022, Nissan acquired the e.dams team outright, entering the 2022-23 season as the Nissan Formula E Team. The team won the drivers' championship in the 2024-25 season with Oliver Rowland. As of 2026, Formula E is the only international series in which Nissan and Nismo compete.
Nismo competes in the Japanese Super GT championship in the GT500 class, operating directly under the Nismo banner and supporting partner teams including Impul and Kondo Racing. Nismo also supports multiple GT300-class teams in the same championship.
Nismo produces a range of performance road cars and factory-approved tuning products for Nissan models. Notable production vehicles include the 1987 Skyline R31 GTS-R Group A evolution edition, the 1990 Skyline GT-R Nismo (560 units), and the limited Skyline GT-R R34 Z-Tune, of which only 20 were built in 2003 using base cars purchased back from customers. Nismo's tuning work spans aerodynamic components, alloy wheels, engine internals, and suspension parts for a wide range of Nissan and Datsun models.