Driving the Ultra-Rare NISMO 400R: The Ultimate GT-R?

The Legendary NISMO 400R

• 🚀 The NISMO 400R is presented as a contender for the ultimate GT-R, a rare and valuable iteration of the R33 generation.
• 💰 With a seven-figure valuation, its scarcity is a major factor, but the film explores if it offers a truly elevated driving experience.
• 🎮 Familiar to millions through the Gran Turismo video game, the 400R's reality is put to the test.

Rarity and Origins

• 📌 Only 44 of the planned 100 400R models were built, making it exceptionally rare.
• 🌟 It was launched in the mid-1990s at three times the cost of a standard GT-R, featuring significant upgrades.
• 🏎️ The R33 GT-R, while less revered than the R32, spawned the legendary 400R with a larger engine, lighter propshaft, wider tracks, and bespoke suspension.

Interior and Unique Features

• 💡 The interior, while feeling somewhat basic, boasts unique details like a three-spoke steering wheel and a tall titanium gear knob.
• 💎 A standout feature is the "Club Le Mans" sticker in the glovebox, granting access to special parts and a lottery for race attendance, linking it to Nissan's GT1 program.
• 🛠️ Optional extras include a cool fake kill switch cigarette lighter and special glove box gauges.

Performance and Driving Dynamics

• 💨 The 400R features a 2.8-liter, 400 horsepower engine and advanced systems like ATTESA ETS-Pro and Super HICAS (rear-wheel steering).
• ⚖️ Despite its 1550kg weight, the car feels incredibly agile, almost unnervingly so, due to the advanced four-wheel-drive and steering systems.
• 📈 The car requires hard driving and commitment to truly come alive, with its handling making sense at the limit.
• 🏁 The chassis and its agility are highlighted as standout features, making it a car that needs to be driven dynamically to be fully appreciated.

Engine and Le Mans Connection

• ⚙️ The RB-X GT2 engine is a 2.8-liter unit, but its inspiration comes from a Japanese GT Championship race car, not directly from Le Mans.
• 🇯🇵 The engine's origin is traced to a privateer team in the JGTC, dispelling the common myth of a direct Le Mans engine lineage.
• 🚀 The 400R's 400 PS output significantly exceeded the Japanese gentleman's agreement of 280 PS, achieved because it was a hand-built limited edition.
• ✨ The engine is best enjoyed when revved out to 7,000-8,000 RPM, where it truly comes alive.

The Ultimate GT-R?

• 🏆 The author declares the 400R the best GT-R driven across any generation, praising its character and analog feel.
• 🚗 It's compared to the analog Honda NSX-R, highlighting the 400R's monstrous, complex nature in contrast.
• 🌟 The combination of its unique chassis, powerful engine, and historical significance solidifies its status as an extraordinary machine.