UNCLE NISMO IS FINALLY HERE; And he's looking to drive.(News)(Nissan's in-house performance parts supplier)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

Yes, yes, they've promised you this before, more than a few times in the last two or three years in fact. But this time they really mean it: NISMO, Nissan's in-house performance parts supplier, has parts in U.S. Nissan dealerships.

Don't believe them? Been led down this path before? A string of bad relationships has left you guarded and unwilling to commit? Well, we are looking right now at a list of S-tune (for the street) and R-tune (for the track) NISMO parts that will fit not only your new-generation 350Z and Sentra SE-R, but also "Legacy'' parts for your 1989-98 240SX, 1991-99 Sentra and 1990-96 300ZX. There is even a wide variety of "Lifestyle'' paraphernalia (shirts, hats and license-plate frames) to keep you looking fast even if you can't afford part No. 12310-RSZ30US (350Z performance flywheel).

"So what,'' you scoff, "I can buy those parts on the gray market, and in fact have been doing so for quite some time!''

But those gray-market parts don't come with Nissan's parts-and-accessories warranty, do they (12 months or 12,000 miles for S-tune)? No. And genuine NISMO parts are available right there in your friendly Nissan dealership, which can professionally install them. Which is not to bag on the guys who have faithfully gotten you NISMO parts for the last two years while Nissan has only said it will get you NISMO parts.

To prove to us that this time there really are parts, Nissan hosted a track day at the Willow Springs Raceway in Southern California. The company had 350Zs and Sentra SE-Rs in both S- and R-tune ready for flogging. Unfortunately, we were out of the country at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Several weeks later, however, at Nissan's Tochigi proving grounds in Japan, we were able to drive three NISMO-equipped Nissans and get something of a feel for them. While the parts weren't exactly the same, they were close enough that you could feel the improvement over stock.

We drove a NISMO Fairlady Z (350Z to you and me), Skyline (Infiniti G35 coupe) and a March (nothing to us) with lots of parts from the Japanese catalog. NISMO officials said 50 percent to 60 percent of the home-market catalog will make it to the States.