This Pristine 1990 Nissan NPT-90 Prototype Racer Can Be Yours for an Undisclosed Amount
The 950-horsepower IMSA GTP car is not only wicked-fast but also highly decorated.
With driving season several grueling months away, you have a lot of time to start planning your next vehicle purchase. Perhaps instead of a standard-issue road car, you're planning on something a bit more serious. Maybe a highly successful Nissan prototype racecar, at that. To scratch that itch, there's 1990 Nissan NPT-90 for sale at the storied Canepa Motorsports—just prepare to pay a pretty penny.
The NPT-90 was the result of Nissan's efforts to cement itself as a serious contender in the IMSA GT Championship series. Factory-supported Nissan racing team Electramotive Engineering had campaigned the Porsche 962-killing GTP ZX-Turbo in the late 1980s but lacked funding to develop a successor to its aging prototype racer. Although Porsche was in its rearview, Nissan knew that Jaguar and Toyota were gearing up to take their turns on the podium, and a new car was needed to maintain the top spot. So, the division was re-branded to Nissan Performance Technology Incorporated (NPTI), resources were reallocated, and a more contemporary GTP design was sketched out to replace the ZX's doorstop-like silhouette.
That design would eventually become the NPT-90, one of the nuttiest racecars Nissan has ever built. Its curvier shape and other aerodynamic enhancements gave it much more downforce than its angular predecessor. It used the same 300ZX-sourced, twin-turbocharged V6 as the ZX-Turbo, but later tweaks gave the NPT-90 more than 950 horsepower. With its numerous upgrades, the prototype scored Nissan two GTP Constructors' Championships before the entire GTP class was axed in 1993.
The example up for grabs is undeniably the most special of the NPT-90 litter: chassis no. 01. IMSA greats Derek Daly and Bob Earl debuted the car at the 1990 Topeka 300 Kilometers, where it placed eighth overall. However, the car would go on to clean house in later races. It scored podium finishes in 15 of its 22 total contests primarily at the hands of Geoff Brabham.
Currently, in the protective care of Bruce Canepa, the NPT-90 is looking for a new home. No price is listed, but it's definitely worth whatever cost considering it's a veteran of one of American motorsport's coolest eras. You can find a full gallery of photos here.
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com
