{"product_id":"nissan-r390-gt1-test-24h-le-mans-1998-182195","title":"Nissan R390 GT1 Test 24h Le Mans 1998 Spark Model 1:43","description":"\u003cblockquote class=\"vr-tldr\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 1:43 scale model of the Nissan R390 GT1 in the 1998 Le Mans Test livery by Spark Model — resin construction, dark blue and silver Nissan Motorsports colours, and a rarely reproduced pre-race configuration that sets it apart from the race-day entries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nissan R390 GT1 sits among the most compelling GT1-class machines of the late 1990s. Developed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing for Nissan Motorsports and first raced at Le Mans in 1997, it returned in 1998 as a significantly revised machine. This \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:43\u003c\/span\u003e scale model by Spark Model documents the car in its Test configuration ahead of the 1998 race — a specific and rarely modelled variant distinct from any of the five race-day entries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"r390-gt1-real-car\"\u003eTom Walkinshaw's GT1 Weapon for Nissan\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTom Walkinshaw Racing designed the R390 GT1 from the ground up to contest the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Power came from a mid-mounted Nissan VRH35L twin-turbocharged V8 producing approximately 641 bhp, an engine derived from Nissan's JGTC programme. To meet FIA homologation requirements, a single road-legal R390 GT1 was also built — one of the more unusual footnotes in GT1-class regulations history. The car's aerodynamic profile, with its aggressive rear bodywork and wide haunches, made it one of the most visually distinctive GT1 prototypes of the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"le-mans-1998-campaign\"\u003eFive Cars, One Podium: Le Mans 1998\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNissan's 1998 Le Mans effort was its most substantial to date in the GT1 class. Five R390 GT1s were entered — cars numbered 30, 32, 33, 34 and 38 — each featuring revised aerodynamics and improved reliability over the 1997 specification. The result was a strong points in the overall classification: car #30, driven by Éric Hélary, Stéphane Ortelli and Aguri Suzuki, finished third overall. The remaining entries completed the race in the top 10. In a field where McLaren F1 GTR and Mercedes CLK GTR machinery was dominant, Nissan's five-car haul across the finishing positions represented a genuine achievement for Japanese GT1 endurance racing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"spark-model-1-43\"\u003eSpark Model in Resin at \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:43\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpark Model is the primary specialist in \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:43\u003c\/span\u003e resin Le Mans subjects, and this release depicts the R390 GT1 in its Test configuration — the livery used during the official pre-race test day at Le Mans prior to the 1998 race. The model is built in resin, the standard material for Spark's \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:43\u003c\/span\u003e range, and carries the dark blue and silver Nissan Motorsports livery with PIAA sponsorship markings. The Test variant is a configuration not reproduced by other makers at this scale, giving it archival value beyond the better-known race-day entries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"display-cabinet\"\u003eContext in the Display Cabinet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis model fits naturally alongside the individual race-number R390 GT1 entries from 1998 — cars #30, #32, #33, #34 and #38 — to form a comprehensive record of Nissan's Le Mans campaign. It also pairs well with the McLaren F1 GTR and Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR subjects from the same 1998 race, or with the Toyota GT-One TS020 from 1999 for a broader study of Japanese GT1-class involvement in late-1990s endurance racing. Collectors focused on the golden GT1 era will find it a coherent addition to any Le Mans specialist shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SPARK MODEL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56285620502912,"sku":"S3576","price":78.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0922\/8828\/7104\/files\/vr-s3576-front34_201c2b90-5719-47f5-932c-014ab4625fc9.png?v=1792083635","url":"https:\/\/vroomimodels.com\/de\/products\/nissan-r390-gt1-test-24h-le-mans-1998-182195","provider":"Vroomi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}