Prince R380

Prince R380
Overview
Manufacturer	Prince/Nissan
Production	1965-1968
Designer	Shinichiro Sakurai
Body and chassis
Class	Race car
Layout	MR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2.0L GR-8 I6 200 hp 220 hp (R380-II)
Transmission	5-speed Hewland manual
Chronology
Successor	Nissan R381

The Prince R380 was a racing car built in 1965 by Prince Motor Company to compete in the Japanese Grand Prix. Following the merger of Prince Motor Company and Nissan Motors in 1966, the R380 was modified into the Nissan R380-II (also known as R380 Mk.II).

In 1964, Prince had entered their new S54 Skyline GTs in the second Japanese Grand Prix, hoping to prove the performance potential of the car's new G-7 Straight-6. Although the cars performed well, they were defeated by a privately entered Porsche 904 GTS, leaving the Skylines to take second through sixth positions.

Realizing the superiority of the mid-engine layout used on the Porsche 904, Prince decided that a custom-built sports car would be needed to win the Japanese Grand Prix. The car was built from scratch, with an all new chassis being developed to house the engine in the middle. Aerodynamic bodywork was also used, with exposed buttresses over the rear engine cover.

For an engine, Prince would use the same G engine that the Skylines had used, but adapted it specifically for racing. The new unit, known as GR-8, would be a 1996 cc Straight-6 that produced 200 hp (150 kW). A Hewland 5-speed racing gearbox would be used in the transmission.

When Nissan took over the project, the bodywork of the R380 was completely redesigned. The rear buttresses were replaced with a flowing cockpit and engine cover, while the vents and ductwork of the car was further refined. Nissan was able to increase power in the GR8 engine to 220 hp (164 kW).

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Wikipedia