If you played Gran Turismo 2 back in the day, you clicked on this listing for a Venturi 400 Trophy for the same reason I did. In an era where promising but ultimately failed boutique supercars were a dime a dozen, Venturi fared better than most. It had a dedicated, one-make race series, which this Yacco-liveried car, now offered for sale by Animoya Garage, competed in. Today, it can be yours for an asking price of $385,000.
The 400 used a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter PRV V6 that made 408 horsepower, similar to its namesake, and 390 lb-ft of torque, naturally directed to the rear axle. Around 90 were built, but the vast majority were race cars, like this example, competing in a spec series not unlike the Porsche Cup or Ferrari Challenge that toured French circuits and lasted four seasons.
That event was pitched at gentleman racers, but Venturi’s machinery was a mainstay of top-flight GT competition around the world through the early-to-mid ’90s, which explains why it wound up in the likes of Gran Turismo and, my personal favorite, as an AI competitor in Sega’s Scud Race.
But enough about video games, because if you have the coin, you can experience the real deal. This 400 Trophy was campaigned in the 1992 and 1993 editions of Venturi’s championship by Pierre Regnault. While others like it were converted to road duty after their racing careers concluded, this one wasn’t, and reportedly saw little use until 2006, when its owner began bringing it out for public display.
Then, about a decade ago, this 400 Trophy hit the track again for historic events, which also necessitated some powertrain TLC, including a transmission rebuild. A more routine service was recently performed prior to it hitting the market now. And, if the car isn’t enough, whoever buys it will apparently also get a sweet pair of “custom Yacco-livery Nike Dunks.” Porsche people have shoes that match their cars, so why shouldn’t the Venturi faithful get similar treatment?
Regrettably, no photos of the kicks have been provided, so if you want to know what they look like, you best reach out to the seller.
Know of any other weird, cool old race cars for sale? Hit us up at tips@thedrive.com