1992 Nissan GTP ZX Turbo
REQUeST A printable PDF document with Photos

Nissan GTP cars won four straight championships from ’88-’91. Early in the ’92 season, however, even though a Nissan won the first sprint race in Miami, it became clear that several competitors had seriously narrowed the performance gap. As a result by July of ’92 NPTI had a new 2000 lb. GTP car. Chassis 90-06 was a new car, built from scratch to the lightweight spec. It was completed on July 10, 1992. At Laguna Seca a week later, Geoff Brabham qualified 3.00 seconds faster than his previous best. This car was run in ‘camouflage” for the remainder of the 1992 season in an effort to not give away the team’s plans for the 1993 season.

Prior to the Laguna race, NPTLI had started a second weight reduction program. This second effort was based on producing a 2.5 liter 1900 lb. version of the car for the final races of the season. This was an intense, no holds barred effort. Because of the short amount of time available, only enough parts to modify one car could be produced. Chassis 90-06 was chosen as the best candidate for this project.

Work on the 2.5 liter version of the engine had been ongoing, as well as promising. But getting another 100 lbs. out of the chassis would be a challenge. To make this a reality, the engine became a single turbo configuration. Systems were simplified and/or parts eliminated in other areas as well. Magnesium and titanium were used even more creatively throughout the car. For example, a titanium differential housing and engine flywheel, along with a special lightweight starter were used. Spectra cloth was used in the bodywork. Lightweight suspension and drive line parts were built. Titeflex hose or hard line along with Wiggins connectors, were substituted for braided aeroquip and conventional fittings. Direct fire ignition was adopted. By late September, a 1905 lb. car was created by redesigning and/or trimming weight from hundreds of parts.

At the end of the 1992 season chassis 90-06 was taken down to the tub and completely rebuilt by Nissan with all the special parts developed over the past season, New body work with the latest aerodynamic tweaks, the latest electronics and all new mechanicals including the 3.0 liter twin turbo engine were put on the car in preparation for what would have been a push for the championship in 1993. Unfortunately Nissan canceled the program and the car was never raced. In its short life, in the opinion of many inside observers, chassis 90-06 had the distinction of being the most fully integrated, sophisticated GTP car in history. Its chassis, bodywork, engine, gearbox, aerodynamics, and electronics were all designed and produced in-house by NPTI.

After Nissan shut down it’s IMSA racing team chassis 90-06 was destined for Nissan’s corporate museum. Before it was put on display, Bruce Canepa purchased the car. He raced the car twice, winning the one hour American LeMans Prototye race at Laguna Seca in 2002 , lapping the field in the process. The car has less than 5 hours of track time on it since the Nissan overall in the winter of 1992. Since racing the car, Canepa has repainted the nose and rockers. The car is in “brand new” condition and ready to race.

IMSA Race History
Laguna Seca 5th
Portland 3rd
Phoenix 3rd
Del Mar 1st

Phone: 831-430-9940 • See More Race cars • Contact Us about this Car