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Petrolhead · 01-21-2012, 02:13 AM

This is my 1:18 Nissan R390 GT1 #23 LeMans 1997 racer by AutoArt.
First some info about the car.
After returning to sports car racing in 1995,Nismo (Nissan Motorsport) had some measure of success with their Skyline GT-R LMs which had competed in the GT1 class.However,these cars were quickly outpaced by the influx of new manufacturers who were using loopholes in the GT regulations to build racing cars that bore little resemblance to their GT1 class competitors.This led to such machines as the Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR and Porsche 911 GT1 as well as the development of the McLaren F1 GTR.Nismo's Skyline GT-Rs,therefore,needed to be replaced with more purpose built machinery.
Turning to Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR),Nismo began development of the R390 GT1,named to follow in the tradition started in the 1960s with Nissan's R380.The first decision for Nismo and TWR was the choice of engine.The previous Skyline GT-R LMs had used the trusted RB26DETT in-line six motor but the design was old for a racing car as it employed an iron block which added weight.Nismo instead chose to resurrect an engine from the Nissan R89C,a racing car from the Group C era.Its engine,the VRH35Z,was a 3.5 litre V8 which used an aluminium block in addition to having a lower center of gravity and a better ability to be used as a stressed member over the RB26.Thus the engine was upgraded and designated VRH35L and would produce approximately 641 bhp (478 kW) at 6800 rpm.
The car's styling group was led by Ian Callum and the mechanical and aerodynamic design led by Tony Southgate,both of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR).Southgate was the designer of the Jaguar XJR-9 amongst other TWR sportscars which had won at Le Mans.Due to this,the R390 GT1 bears a resemblance to the Jaguar XJR-15 which was also developed by TWR and based on the XJR-9 and,in fact,used a modified version of the XJR15 monocoque.Development of the car was achieved in a small amount of time,especially due to not having to scratch-build an engine.Nismo and TWR also had to build a production version of the R390 GT1 in order to meet production regulations.Only two road-legal R390s were built with one road car ending up in storage at Nissan's Zama,Kanagawa facility.The other was bought at an undisclosed auction by an unknown wealthy recipient and Nissan enthusiast.
Completed in time for the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans,the three black and red R390 GT1s were fast in their first competition with Martin Brundle taking pole position in May's pre-qualifying with a staggering time of 3.43.15.At the race itself,one R390 GT1 (#22) was able to qualify in 4th on the grid and 2nd in its class behind a Porsche 911 GT1 while its partners qualified 12th (#21) and 21st(#23).During the race both cars were able to perform admirably but soon began to struggle with gearbox problems and,around halfway through the race,two of the three R390s (#21 & #22) finally succumbed to mechanical failure and were withdrawn.The third R390 was able to survive the rest of the race (albeit with two complete gearbox changes along the way) finishing 12th overall and 5th in class but many laps down from the race winners.
The AutoArt seen below is a model of the only R390 GT1 that managed to finish the 1997 24 Hours of LeMans,the #23 Calsonic liveried racer.It also happens to be one of the best 1:18 models AutoArt has ever made with detailing at par with their rather hyped 1:18 Pagani Zonda R.
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model collector · 01-21-2012, 02:18 AM

You have a super collections, many interesting models. I would love to see a blue Nissan, like the Exoto R90

Petrolhead · (This post was last modified: 01-21-2012 02:28 AM by Petrolhead.)

Thank you for the kind words,Sergiu!!
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This is what makes this model so special.
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Interiors are just as much a work of art as that engine bay.
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You didn't think the insane detailing ended with the cabin and the engine,did you?The front end also gets a blast from the intricacy gun.
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