The Nissan Z GT500 represents a significant chapter in Japanese GT racing: the return of the 'Z' nameplate to Super GT competition after the long GT-R era. Car #3, operated under the Team NISMO NDDP banner, combines serious championship intent with a clearly defined role as a factory pipeline for Nissan's next generation of GT500 talent. Spark Model's 1:43 resin series is one of the few collector-grade ranges to cover the full Japanese domestic GT500 grid in this scale.
The Nissan Z GT500: Class 1 Architecture and the Z Nameplate
Built to the shared Super GT and FIA GT Class 1 technical regulations, the Nissan Z GT500 runs on a platform common to the Toyota GR Supra GT500 and the Honda NSX-GT, with bodywork derived from the RZ34 Nissan Z road car. The engine is a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four, designated NR20A, developed in compliance with Class 1 power unit regulations. Introduced for the 2022 season, the Z GT500 reached its evolved 2024 specification with four factory-supported entries under the NISMO and NDDP programmes.
Car #3, Team NISMO NDDP, and the Driver Development Story
Team NISMO NDDP is Nissan's official driver development racing team in Super GT GT500, co-operated between the Nissan Driver Development Programme and B-MAX Engineering. The livery carries NISMO corporate colours — red, black and silver — with prominent NDDP branding. Mitsunori Takaboshi has been the lead driver of the #3 entry since 2017, originally in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 before transitioning to the Z GT500. Co-driver Atsushi Miyake is a younger NDDP programme graduate, making their 2024 pairing a deliberate blend of experience and development.
Spark Model's Resin 1:43 Super GT Series
This model is produced by Spark Model in resin, the standard construction for the brand's 1:43 racing car range. Spark combines resin bodywork with photo-etched metal components and precision decal application to reproduce race liveries at this scale — the method used across their Super GT GT500 series. The #3 Team NISMO NDDP Nissan Z NISMO is replicated with its 2024-specification livery, including NISMO red, black and silver with NDDP programme graphics, as raced by Takaboshi and Miyake throughout the season.
In the Display Cabinet: Building a 2024 GT500 Grid
The #3 Team NISMO NDDP entry pairs naturally with Spark's other 2024 Super GT GT500 subjects — the #23 MOTUL AUTECH Z of Matsuda and Quintarelli and the #24 Realize Corporation ADVAN Z — to form a coherent Nissan GT500 display. Collectors focused on the full 2024 GT500 grid will find this model essential alongside Spark's Toyota GR Supra and Honda entries from the same season. For those tracing the NDDP programme's history, earlier Spark #3 entries from the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 era provide a clear narrative thread back to 2017.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Team NISMO NDDP team?
Team NISMO NDDP is Nissan's official driver development racing team in the Super GT GT500 class, operated jointly by Nissan's Driver Development Programme and B-MAX Engineering. The #3 car serves as both a competitive GT500 entry and a training ground for Nissan-contracted drivers.
Who drove the #3 Nissan Z NISMO GT500 in 2024?
Mitsunori Takaboshi and Atsushi Miyake shared the #3 Team NISMO NDDP entry throughout the 2024 Super GT season. Takaboshi has been the lead driver of the car since 2017; Miyake is a younger NDDP programme driver.
Is this a diecast or a resin model?
It is a resin model. Spark Model produces its 1:43 racing car range in resin with photo-etched detailing and precision decals — the standard construction for collector-grade replicas of contemporary GT racing cars at this scale.
How does the Nissan Z GT500 relate to the road car?
The GT500 car's bodywork is derived from the RZ34 Nissan Z road car, as required by Super GT regulations. Mechanically, however, it follows the Class 1 technical rules shared with the Toyota GR Supra GT500 and Honda NSX-GT, including a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four engine.
