Only Two R390 Road-Legal Nissan Were Ever Made

The Nissan Race Car That Was Worth A Million Dollar

Sometimes when we look back at the years behind and the years ahead, we can’t help but get truly mesmerized at what car builders think. You feel like you want to get down into the core of their brains and unravel the mystery that dreams all these wonderful and amazing dreams.

To get this point across, here is the Nissan R390, a concept for which only two cars were ever produced. This car was built in a rare location too, Atsugi, Japan.

The aim was precisely to gain entry into racing at the Le Mans 24 Hours for 1997 and 1998. It, therefore, was designed to race under GT rules, starting life as a production car before turning tables to a racing version that was later produced.

Because of this arrangement, Nissan framed the road-legal R390 GT1 in some flowery wording, calling it a “diamond in the rough.” The race car version was described as “finished, polished product.”

Nissan sold only two known examples at a sumptuous $1 million. It pulled an amazing 550-horsepower sent to the rear wheels. A six-speed Xrac sequential transmission was the gearbox choice for this car. Nissan further gave the R390 a set of 18-inch and 19-inch wheels for the front and rear respectively.

Nissan chose not to market this car vigorously perhaps acknowledging that it was a tough nut. Nonetheless, the million-dollar mark was good enough.