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This Nissan sports prototype, chassis number ‘R87G-3’, is one offour upgraded to R88C specification for the 1988 season of GroupC sports car racing. Regarded by many as a modern ‘golden age’of international sports car competition, the FIA’s Group C categoryfor roofed prototypes lasted from 1982 to 1993. Rather than beingbased on engine capacity and weight, the traditional parameters ofmotor racing formulae, Group C placed a limit on the amount of fuelpermitted but otherwise allowed constructors virtually a free handin design. As interest in the class grew, the world’s major motormanufacturers joined the fray with Ford, Porsche, Jaguar, AstonMartin, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota all fieldingworks entries.Nissan’s initial support for the formula was relatively low-key. In1983 they supplied engines for the privately run Hoshino team andit was not until 1985 that a factory competitions department wasformed, known as Nissan Motorsport, or ‘Nismo’. In 1986 Nissancommissioned the British manufacturer March to supply a chassissuitable for Group C. Designed by former McLaren Formula 1engineer Gordon Coppuck, it was a monocoque fabricated fromaluminium honeycomb panels, and featured side-mounted radiatorsfor greater aerodynamic efficiency. The four chassis built wereshipped to Nissan in Japan for completion.The Japanese manufacturer already had experience of building anengine for sports car racing, its production-derived V6, used initiallyby the Electromotive team for the IMSA GTP series in the USA, havingbeen undergoing development for the preceding couple of years.For 1986 this engne was extensively reworked to take advantageof the less restrictive Group C rules, re-emerging with an aluminiumblock and twin Garrett turbochargers, replacing the cast-iron blockand single turbocharger of the GTP unit. Around 700bhp wasavailable from this 3.0-litre engine in race trim, with up to 1000horsepower on tap for qualifying.The first of Nissan’s new R86 Group C prototypes debuted at anational race at Suzuka but was sidelined following a fire in practice.Lacking development, the R86 failed at Le Mans while an earlier R85could only manage 16th. All four cars competed at Fuji later in theyear, the two survivors finishing 10th and 11th. Undeterred by thesepoor results, Nissan regrouped for 1987.Its hopes for success were centred on a new purpose-built 3.0-litreV8 ‘VEJ30’ racing engine equipped with twin IHI turbochargers,which out-performed the old V6 in terms of both maximum powerand fuel economy. An exclusive chassis supply deal had beenconcluded with March, which shipped three new 87G cars to Japan.In Nissan nomenclature they became the R87E.Surprisingly, given the disappointments of 1986, Nissan once againundertook very little competition proving prior to Le Mans, which wasits primary objective, a single entry at Fuji being the R87E’s solitaryouting. The car failed to finish, as did the two R87Es that ran at LeMans. Engine failures had been the cause of all these retirementsso the V8 was completely redesigned for 1988 as the ‘VRH30’, theexisting March 86G/87G chassis being adapted to accommodate thenew power plant. These changes included a lengthened wheelbaseand revised aerodynamics on the resulting R88C cars.Motor Cars | 145