Nissan's NISMO performance division is taking to the global stage with gusto, focusing on the U.S. market for expansion.

Nissan's social media team came across a tongue-in-cheek video ad for a 1996 Maxima on Craigslist, and decided to have a little fun.

Nissan unveiled its new Nissan GT-R Nismo Tuesday, announcing the vehicle achieved a record lap time for a volume production car at Germany's famed Nürburgring in late September.

Nissan ZEOD RC made its Fuji Speedway debut with former GT1 Champ Michael Krumm at the wheel.

Nissan ZEOD RC was unveiled at Nismo headquarters, after eight months of development, design and construction, the first step in bringing EVs to the track.

Some of the most exciting events this year were motorsports-related, not just on the race track but off as well. Here are some of the 2012 highlights from the racetrack.

NISMO racing driver Michael Krumm sped around the GranDrive track with The Fastest Man in the World, Usain Bolt, later offering his take on the world-record holder's technique.

Jamaica's multiple gold medal winner Usain Bolt stopped at Nissan's GranDrive testing track and Yokohama headquarters, bringing his record speed and excitement to Japan and becoming Nissan's Director of Excitement.

Nissan DeltaWing was called an answer in search of a question, but at Le Mans 2012 that query seems to be What If?

Nurburging hosted the No.23 Nissan GT-R Club Track Edition with Michael Krumm, Toshio Suzuki, Kazuki Hoshino and Tetsuya Tanaka, and the No. 123 Nissan GT-R Club Track Edition, with Lucas Ordonez, Kazunori Yamauchi, Yasukichi Yamamoto and Tobias Schulze, which finished first in the SP8T class.