Nismo 400R '96

NISMO planned on releasing 100 units of this fastest street-spec GT-R of its generation, but it's said only 44 examples were ever made.

The 400 in the Nismo 400R name refers to the car's power. With 394 HP and coming at a price of about $100,000, this GT-R. based on the R33, could well be considered an exotic. Nismo, Nissan's motorsports division, set out to make the ultimate GT-R, partly because as a response to aftermarket tuners that were producing examples of the car, it wanted to show the world that it was still the worldwide experts when it came to tuning the GT-R.

The engine that was transplanted into the 400R was the RB-XGT2. It was based on the standard RB26DETT instilled with Nismo's GT and Group A technology. The stock turbochargers were replaced with overboosted N1-spec units.

A custom-built crankshaft and pistons, as well as displacement increased to 2.8 liters, gave the car a hefty dosage of low-end torque, while amazing performance at the high-end of the rpm spectrum. A twin-plate clutch was installed to interface with the engine to transfer this power to the drivetrain. The driveshaft was a very lightweight unit, custom-made out of carbon fiber. In addition, a titanium muffler was also fitted to help reduce weight.

Assisting the car's handling was Bilstein shocks and reinforced stabilizer bars and bushings. The 400R went on sale in 1996, limited to 99 total units, with Road & Track's Sam Mitani as the first U.S. journalist to sample its prowess and introduced it to the U.S public.