It was because of the Altima that we were invited out to a day at the track. NISMO parts have been available for other models for some time, but Nissan is just rolling out the Altima NISMO line. For the benefit of comparison, every Altima you could think of was available for driving – 2.5 S, 3.5 SE, SE-R, and S- and R-tune versions.

First off was the S-tune Nissan Altima 3.5 SE, which featured an automatic transmission and was outfitted with about $4,800* in NISMO add-ons, not including installation, including:

• Cold air intake system ($310)
• Cat-back exhaust system ($800*)
• Suspension kit that lowered the front end by 22 mm and the rear end by 10 mm; this setup also increased stiffness by 30 percent up front and 20 percent out back ($960)
• 24-mm front stabilizer bar and 27-mm rear stabilizer bar ($360)
• Silver 18-inch by 8.5-inch alloy wheels that ran $438 each (price of P245/45R18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires not included)
• Rear decklid spoiler ($330)
• NISMO floor mats ($79)
• NISMO license plate frame ($32)
• NISMO graphics ($180*)

With the benefit of driving the stock and NISMO Altima 3.5 SE models back-to-back, we can confidently say that the NISMO treatment makes a difference in this application. Whereas the regular V6-powered Altima, a model admittedly not designed for the track, had a tendency to plow and get a little tail happy when pressed hard, the NISMO-tized Altima 3.5 SE did a better job of holding a line and relinquishing grip only when beat into submission. No doubt the complete package of suspension parts and 18-inch Michelins were responsible for this performance. As with the Sentra, the cold air intake system didn’t make a difference, but given that temperatures were in the triple digits, there wasn’t any cold air to be taken in.

Add the estimated $4,800 bill for NISMO parts onto the sticker price of a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE, which is about $24,000, and the total bill comes to about $28,000, or about $2,000 less than a stock Altima SE-R. And that’s before figuring in the installation costs. Plus, the SE-R feels more controlled and more powerful on the track, despite all of the NISMO parts added to the 3.5 SE. If you’ve already got an Altima 3.5 SE, and you’ve got some expendable income, the NISMO catalog is the ticket to tightening up your ride. But, if you’re a shopper looking to buy, a stock SE-R might be your best choice.