Inside the Nissan Heritage Car Collection (Part 2) - The Birth Of Godzilla

We took you deep inside Nissan last month, and brought back exclusive coverage of the Zama Operations Center in Kanagawa, Japan. Once serving as the assembly plant for their vehicles, Zama is now known as Nissan's Global Production Engineering Center. What isn't as well-known is that it's also home to the Heritage Car Collection, the greatest assembly of Nissans (and early Japanese vehicles in general) in the world-slash-galaxy-slash-universe. Not accessible to the public, the entire collection of very special and uber-rare vehicles sits in pristine condition, model-by-model, generation-to-generation, and trophy-to-trophy.

Continuing where we left off (Pre-WWII Datsun, Japanese Grand Prix, Super Silhouette), our second part of Zama details Nissan's Group C/IMSA GTP efforts, other motorsport accomplishments including WRC victors, and MID 4 Prototypes.

Using experience learned from the turbocharged, Formula-level technology in Super Silhouette [last issue], Nissan segued into FIA Group C and IMSA GTP racing. A class for roofed prototypes with restrictions on dimensions and weight, Group C and GTP had minimal engine restrictions, making way for high-horsepower racing.

Powered by a 680ps, turbocharged variant of the VG30 engine from the 300ZX, Nismo entered two Group C cars into the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 880kg R85V (pictured) finished 16th overall in its debut with K. Hoshino, K. Matsumoto, and A. Suzuki at the helm.

Also based on the VG30ET motor of the 300ZX, this 650ps creation, aptly named ZX-Turbo, was campaigned by California-based Electromotive Engineering in the GTP series of IMSA, where it would go on to win the Driver's Championship in 1988 with G. Brabham behind the wheel-the first manufacturer to beat the GTP-dominating Porsche 962-and the Constructor's Championship in 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Nissan would dominate the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in an R90CP powered by an 800ps, DOHC, YRH35Z V-8 engine, winning both the Constructor's and Driver's Championships from 1990 to 1992. Following their first victory in 1990, M. Hasemi and A. Olofsson returned in 1991 in an improved chassis with reinforced carbon monocoque construction, improved aerodynamics, and the number-one championship spot.

After years of relying on chassis from March Engineering and Lola Cars International, the #23 R91CP (far left) would be the first entirely Nissan-built Group C car, utilizing a 680ps, DOHC, VRH35Z V-8 with twin IHI turbos. In 1992, the R91CP would enter the Daytona 24 Hour race with M. Hasemi, K. Hoshino, and T. Suzuki at the wheel, and earn the first Daytona victory by a Japanese car or team.

The #24 car in the middle is the R90CP that won the 1990 JSPC Championship with M. Hasemi and A. Olofsson. The car on the far right won five of seven races, clinching the 1992 JSPC Championship with K. Hoshino and T. Suzuki driving.

After its 1997 Le Mans debut with a 12th-place finish, the purpose-built R390 GT1 would return in 1998 with K. Hoshino, A. Suzuki, and M. Kageyama placing Third overall-the highest Nissan would ever ascend in Le Mans. The 1,000kg R390 accomplished the feat with a 650ps, turbocharged, DOHC, VRH35L V-8.

The second R390 from the left, #30, finished Fifth in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In order to qualify for the GT class of 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nissan had to build at least one road-going vehicle-and this is the one. Purportedly, there was a second road-legal R390 GT1 that was converted to compete in Le Mans, making this the most limited-edition Nissan ever. Tom Walkinshaw Racing-the team behind the Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB7, and Benetton's 1994 F1 car (in which the now legendary M. Schumacher won his first championship)-was sourced to build the R390 solely for Le Mans competition. For the motor, it used the aluminum VRH35L out the R89C Group C car, and the headlights were taken from a production Z32 300ZX. It is said that the road car is capable of 0-60 mph times in 3.3 seconds, a quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds at 134 mph, and a top speed of 220 mph.

Due to changes in Le Mans regulations, Nissan developed two new open-cockpit R391s, both with 600ps, naturally aspirated, 5.0L VRH50A engines-both variants of the VRH35L. Although they did not finish Le Mans, an R391 took the win at the Le Mans-Fuji 1,000km race with M. Krumm, E. Comas, and S. Motoyama driving.