iRacing has produced a new car for the popular online racing simulation. John alerted me to this secret car, the fire breathing monster that is the Nissan GTP ZX-T! The official announcement will be made tomorrow, September 20th. However, as of today, the car is in the store ahead of the official launch! If you would like to drive an insanely fast car, head over to the iRacing store and get it now.
A Little History On The Birth Of The Legendary Nissan GTP ZX-T:
*The Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo (also known as the GTP ZX-T) was a series of racing cars developed for Nissan Motors by Electramotive Engineering to compete in the IMSA GT Championship. Running from 1985 to 1990, they were known for being the first car to defeat the Porsche 962 which had dominated IMSA’s premiere GTP category. This led to Nissan winning the constructor’s championship and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1989 and 1990. During 1990, the GTP ZX-Turbo were replaced by the newer NPT-90.
The GTP ZX-Turbo was named due to its shared engine with the production Nissan 300ZX, the turbocharged VG30ET V6. Although the engine block was similar, the GTP ZX-Turbo’s engine was extensively modified to cope with the stress of racing.
iRacing’s Description Of Their Imminent Car Release:
One of the most brutally fast racing cars ever built, the Nissan GTP ZX-T was that rarest of beasts: a Porsche and Jaguar killer. Along with the Jaguar ( XJR9 and 10), the Porsche 956/962 ruled the sports prototype roost in the mid-to-late 1980s, most especially the IMSA Camel GT Series. But beginning with a win at Miami street race in ’87, progressing to Geoff Brabham’s IMSA Camel GT drivers title in ’88 and culminating in an ’89 season that saw Brabham narrowly edge teammate Chip Robinson for a second drivers title while capturing the manufacturers championship, the Nissan GTP ZX-T emerged as the dominant force in North American sports car racing.
After utilizing a Lola-810 chassis for the basis of Nissan’s first IMSA challenger in 1985, Electramotive Engineering gradually segued into building its own chassis to house Nissan’s prodigiously powerful VG30ET turbocharged engine. Always fast, the Nissans were fragile, at least initially. But by ’88 continuous development largely cured the reliability problems and, but for the fact the Electramotive team skipped the opening rounds of the IMSA schedule (the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring) Nissan would have almost certainly won the manufacturers title to go along with Brabham’s drivers championship. The following year Electramotive made no such mistakes, and after a problematic Daytona, came through to win at Miami and Sebring, the latter with Arie Luyendyk joining Brabham and Robinson at the wheel. With additional wins at Road Atlanta, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road America, Heartland Motorsports Park (Topeka), the San Antonio street race and Sears Point, the Nissan GTP ZX-T solidified its reputation as one of the most potent sports cars of any era.
Nissan GTP ZX-T Specs:
- Chassis: sandwiched aluminum honeycomb monocoque
- Length: 4800 mm
- Width: 2007 mm
- Height: 1016 mm
- Wheelbase: 2705 mm
- Track: (f) 1640 mm/(r) 1550 mm
- Weight: 953 kg
- Engine: V6, 2966 cc, single overhead camshaft, 2 valves per cylinder
- Turbo: Single Garett turbocharger
- Power: 593 kW/795 bhp @ 8000 RPM
- Torque: 895 Nm/660 ft-lb @5500 RPM
- Transmission: Hewland VGC 5 speed
*Source Wikipedia