For years, Nissan has sat on the motorsports sidelines, but the automaker is now returning to its roots. Nissan has jumped back into international racing in an effort to boost brand awareness.
“This has been a fairly recent decision,” says Colin Price, a Nissan North America spokesman. “We’re getting back to our heritage in racing."
Nissan is participating in the International Le Mans Cup series under the name Signatech Nissan. The team's first race was on March 19, and finished in second place.
“It’s a brand-building program,” adds Price. “It will have a spillover into our brand awareness. We’ve already gotten feedback from consumers who tell us they’re glad we’re getting back into it.”
In 1999, the automaker abandoned international motorsports as CEO Carlos Ghosn's primary goal was to cut costs and prevent Nissan from falling into bankruptcy. Now that the company is on solid ground financially and is capturing more and more market share from its Japanese rivals, Nissan is eager to return to motorsports. The effort is by NISMO, the brand's Performance and Motorsports division.
Signatech Nissan is preparing to compete in France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. If the team can pull off another podium finish, Nissan will certainly secure the brand awareness they've been seeking.
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