Why Did Nissan Abandon Le Mans? | Nissan R390 

It's a shame we never got a small run of R390s produced. It has always been one of my favorite GT1 cars, specially with the blue Calsonic livery and the orange wing! I spent hours trying to get mine in Gran Turismo 2. But the 97' in black and red is also stunning!

I absolutely love the use of music from the Gran Turismo series. Gives me serious nostalgia.

"power was restricted to JUST 550hp" 😂 Love road versions from this class.

mclaren now uses a derivitive of the r390 v8 in their road cars aswell in case you didn't know

Nissan did get the last laugh against Toyota at the 1999 Fuji 1000km, when its R391 LMP beat the Toyota GT-ONE in an exhibition race.

One important side note to the R390 is the fact that there exists a second "road car" since 2022. Érik Comas, a Nissan works driver heavily involved in the R390 project was promised a road going version for his efforts, but he never received one since the project was canceled. He bought the last produced race car tho, sporting the number 30, fully restored it and made it road legal with the help of Andrea Chiavenuto. Its registered with a fitting "M24ANS" plate and was on display on some events since. The story of this car alone would be worth a whole video.

Very interesting and detailed look - shame it didn't have longer to be developed really. Did you know Nissan likes to use number 23 as the Japanese for 2 and 3 is Ni and San?

👌🏿Gran Turismo music in the background, brings me back , this was one of my Favorite cars on GT-4

I'm surprised no one has tried to make kit-car versions of the R390 or even a full scale replica like how a few years ago someone managed to make a full scale replica of the Sauber Mercedes C9 just from a 1:32 scale model, I do hope we get something like that so we can hopefully see just how fast the R390 could have been as all we have are the interpretations of it from Gran Turismo and Forza.

This was an awesome race car. Too bad Nissan didn’t play Le Mans long enough

You shoujd do a video on the pikes peak Saab 9-3 That thing was crazy! AWD, stock saab engine block, lots of power and crazy power It’s a Swedish Suzuki escudo!

I've only seen R390's on the Nissan brochures and in GranTurismo 2 and the reason why I remember this car so much was because how GranTurismo ruined it's V8 sound 😭😭😭

The R390 GT is my favorite "supercar". I know some people consider it a borderline "hypercar" due to performance numbers,...but it's hardly important to me. It's a work of art is what it is. The lines and form are simply beyond gorgeous. Really wished they would've did a small batch of production models.

i didn't realize the bones of this engine were around even before this platform. My understanding is this engine STILL underpins the powerplants of all modern, turbocharged McLarens... a fact they aren't too keen to advertise.

Gotta love the grand tourismo music. Great memories

Love that red wine colour. The blue was my favourite in Gran Turismo. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

The editing for this video was perfect.

Just found out about this car and thought it was such a beauty I had to learn more about it. This was the 1st video I clicked on and you helped me understand it more

Thank you for that! Since you’re becoming a Le Mans specialist here’s a couple of suggestions for future study: Matra Simca v12 Alpine Renault A442 /78 Welter Meunier P88 (405kph on Mulsanne) Sauber Mercedes C9 Keep up with the great work

Amazing video all around, thank you sir!

Thank you for these, I've always wondered what story has been w some of the more obscure or unique lm cars

Your channel should be bigger. The algorithm brought me here, it's perfect for watching while I do work.

I love the Grand tourismo music. Great touch!!

Solid video! Only correction, the GTR-LM used a modified RB26, aluminum block/head straight 6.

I thought the car was so awesome when I used to race with it in racing games, it's sad that it didn't have such a successful history.

Fun Fact the Block from this V8 is in our favorite super and hypercar it has a Signature Whipsnap on the up Shift yup u guessed it Mcalren uses this V8 block (heavily modified and updated ofcourse but it's a Nissan V8 none the less

Love the Gran Turismo 3 soundtrack playing in the background.

I use to talk a lot with mechanics and engineers at the racing shop they had in Carlsbad CA. during their three IMSA championships with Bradham driving. What a great bunch of people. I delivered their propane as well as Don Prudhomme and other racing shops. Many shops were there because of the track, TransAm and IMSA DelMar race.

Nissan didn’t leave after 1998. In 1999 they built and races the R391 in the LMP class. Poor results meant they dropped the program for 2000

Gran turismo music in the background love it

It took me a while to realise it, but Nissan is quite the daredevil when it comes to trying things. I mean, the 4x4 Skyline, the Delta wing, that frontwheeldrive monstrosity… Okay, they didn’t invent all of it and it didn’t always work, but they dared try it for real. Odd how you don’t think of them like that, but they’re a bit of a Citroën in designing racing cars

amazing GT music ;-)

The gran turismo music is a nice touch

Well, the other reason Nissan didn't build more road R390s was that they were treading the bankruptcy line in this time period. Copying Toyota's moves hadn't panned out, and Carlos Ghosn (pronounced "phone", because nobody ever bothered locating the proper pronunciation for his surname) wasn't on with the company yet. His triple 5-year plan hadn't been officially proposed.

I love the gran turismo background music...

You forgot the 391 which wasn't so fast at all in 99 and thats why they left. But very nice video! Also I think the 390 was maybe a lot better then we all know. It was the fastest GT1 in 98 in the prolog of the race and were therefore havily nerved. Also, because of the 97 failures their drivers of all four (!) cars were told to not go for fast laps during the race at all. This was until the last 1,5hs were they suddenly showed their full potential by driving seconds (!) per lap faster than the Porsches, BMWs and even the Toyotas (which is believed to be the fastest GT1/GTP car). I still remember not knowing how they found the pace in the last hours and even more so, why they didn't do it earlier in the race. They were too far down the road to get a win by then. Why did they kept back so long? All cars finished yes, and that clearly was the goal. But I think, considered the last minute issues with the Toyota and the very early withdrawl of the Mercs, BMW sneaking a win luckily, this win also could have been Nissans.

Love the old school Gran Turismo music!

Good video as always. However, the CLK at 0:56 is a CLK LM not a CLK GTR.

I still cant believe this Car is not in Gran Turismo 7 Yet. I Loved it in Gran Turismo 5.

They still raced an LMP car in 1999, the R391...

this car is so gorgeous

That was good timing for recommendation - I just got this car in Forza Horizon 4...

Love how this video opens with Gran Turismo 2 - East City. So fitting for Nissan. lol

I know I can't be the only one that laughed when the Porsche on fire clip popped up.

What is the background music? Is it a remix from GT4? Sadly I missed a couple GT games

As TWR ran the program, you’d be interested to know that the monocoque was essentially a Jaguar XJR -15 tub. The LeMans race where Nissan had to add luggage space to the rear quarters resulted in overheating. The Toyotas got around that rule by stating the luggage trunk was filled by the fuel cell.

To end up 3rd the 2nd year was a great feat

great video, but if you’re going to use bg music put it through a high pass filter or just avoid anything with a lot of high hat… sounded like a cd was skipping in the bg and was super distracting.

Gran Turismo 2 PS1 Memories I Have The Red Version of the R390 Road Version In GT2 I've Upgraded it and now it gives more than 800HP

engine of this is now in the mclarens. M838T and M840T and the M630 engines designed based from the R390 v8 enigne

Thanks for spelling Porshe the right way.

Glad to see the xjr 15 getting the fame it deserves

Now that V8 engine is in mclaren road cars

We need a video on mercedes clk gtr

Good video, may I ask why you opted for the figure of 550 bhp rather than 350bhp? I've heard both been given and apparently Nissan says ~350 is the correct figure.

It's bloody sad that Nissan didn't do a run of these breathtaking cars. The company would've reaped the benefits of having a stunning halo car for decades. Duh.

Nissan raced the R391 LMP literally next year after GT1 died

They returned the year after 98 with the R391?

R390 is probably best looking out of all... CLK GTR also looks good.

Corr the Porsche in marlboro colours looks super

I once read somewhere, probably in a granturismo txt, that that one roadcar didn’t have a fueltank. They just didn’t bother cos it was never gonna drive anyway. It sounds odd and I don’t have confirmation, but I want to believe it. Just to highlight the idiocy of homologation roadcars. Remember grB? Those roadcars never sold, they were just sitting there in the factory parking lot, rotting away

Is that Gran Turismo music I hear?

Nissan should give it another try considering the fact that Mazda and Toyota ( after a lot of failed attempts) won there. The Dominance of the r32 skyline in group a touring car racing in the late 80s to mid 90s is proof enough that their have the capabilities to beeing sucessful in Motorsport.

Can you do video in Nissan GTR-LM Nismo?

West City/America BGM

Never knew there was a road car, even if just the one. I assumed they just didn't bother.

You what’s speed,gt1s’losing to the gtps’. Car rhyme of the day

They built two road cars one was the blue longtail and the other was red short tail

The engine that Mclaren bought the IP for and all of their road car engines are now based on.

I saw the '98 road car at the Peterson Automotive Meusum 4 years ago. My fucking jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I saw.

Stealth b6 needs a video assignment

SUCHA BEAUTY....WISH THEY WOULD HAVE MADE A SHIT LOAD OF THESE WAY COOLER THEN THE GTR

What is the difference between the R92 & R390 Nissans??

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As you're making cars inspired by cars originating from video games, how about the fictional El Niño from NFS3?

Nissan don't left le mans in 1998 , they create the nissan r391 for the 1999 year and run lemans with her

well check the 1999 LMentry list

59 minutes ago

Hardly a legend, they drop it because it failed

I looked some off your Videos now and Dude…its not a Carvideo without Car Sound!!!

So if you bring a gt1 car from 20 years ago, it would be faster than 765lt and sf90.

And what about the R391? Nissan still competed at Le Mans in 1999…

That's what really kills me about Nissan. They do some awesome stuff followed by not so awesome. Only 1 road going...😠. Or don't bring the skyline State side 😠. Or at least put that sweet motor in the 300zx or Maxima 😠. Same with the patrol 😠. The list goes on and on with all the great stuff they had overseas or better models and motors never given to the USA. They wonder why certain car manufacturers have insane fan following and they do...But a sad fan base 😥 when you look at what could have been.

Nissan shot themselves in the foot in the middle 2 late 90's. They had such and opportunity 2 rank up there with Toyota as far as quality but they decided 2 cut corners far 2 much for profit.

Never Is Something Surprising Actually Nothing. First run. Suits this car.

I beat EEEEEEVERYONE with the R390 on Grand Turismo 2. It just destroyed everything. Mainly because of the incredible controlled braking. From 160 to 40mph in a second. Then,....the break neck acceleration exiting the corner. The midrange power band of that car on the game, was kind of unrealistic. It literally would out pull EVERTHING. Even the Pikes Peak monster.

You have to sell a lot of boring cars to make one that wacky.

so r390 wasnt a failure at all. The team just didn't have time to make it happen, just like 2015

Nissan was left after 1999 le mans. Not 1998

Ah yes, the japanese father of mclaren nowadays.

This thing is about as Japanese as bangers and mash. 😄

A COPY OF PEUGOT OWO

Myth. And it's going to be BUSTED (like any quranic outlaw).

Love how they always had go v8 to win races. Yet the ricer boys claim the 6 is more better choice 🤣

Nissan used to be cool…. They suck now

Legend? Lol. Never won a race.

Still remember sitting next to this car (blue one) in traffic back in the day, obviously it was on the back of a truck and not driving.

Now Mazda and Nissan makes more boring cars than Hyundai. What a shame.

LEGEND OHHHH

Because japan win european cry and change the rules.