Nissan R382
Encyclopedia
The Nissan R382 was a racing car built in 1969 by Nissan Motors
for competition in the Japanese Grand Prix
. Built to the Group 7 motorsports formula, the car featured Nissan's first V12 engine
. It was a replacement for the Nissan R381
from the previous year.
that Prince
was building for Nissan. With the V12 completed soon after the R381 won the Japanese Grand Prix, Nissan turned instead to developing an all-new car to house the V12 engine, now named GRX-3.
The bodywork of the new open-cockpit R382 was scratch built, sharing nothing with the R381. A wide rectangular front end replaced the rounded front of the R381, while the adjustable rear wings were eliminated due to their being outlawed by the FIA. Instead, a wing was designed into the bodywork of the tail, forming the rear fenders. Instead of allowing air freely through the bottom of the rear wing, a radiator was placed in the opening in order to better cool the new V12 engine. A large intake was also placed on top of the engine in order to better feed air to the motor.
, Nissan was facing more competition then ever before. The Porsche
factory decided to bring one of their new 917K
s to the event with Jo Siffert
and David Piper
. Various other Porsche
s were also part of the field. Toyota had been continuing in development of their 7
, while Isuzu
entered for the first time with their R7-Chevrolet
s.
With three R382s entered, Nissan was able to dominate the field, taking the top two positions after 320 miles. Motoharu Kurosawa
and 1966-winner Yoshikazu Sunaku would share the winning car, which finished a lap ahead of the third place Toyota 7.
In 2004, Nismo
would restore one of the R382s for use in exhibition events around Japan. The car is usually run with the other cars in the R380 series.
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
for competition in the Japanese Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix
The is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of the last, if not the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 27 World Championship Japanese...
. Built to the Group 7 motorsports formula, the car featured Nissan's first V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
. It was a replacement for the Nissan R381
Nissan R381
The Nissan R381 was a racing car developed by Nissan Motors in 1968 for use in the Japanese Grand Prix. It was the successor to the Nissan R380-II, which had been originally developed by the Prince Motor Company-Development:...
from the previous year.
Development
Although the previous R381 had shown its potential in terms of aerodynamics and reliability, the car had been unable to use the planned 600hp 5954cc V12 engineV12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
that Prince
Prince Motor Company
Prince Motor Company was a Japanese automobile manufacturer from 1952 until its merger with Nissan in 1966. Prince began as the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, a producer of the famous Japanese Zero fighter planes used in WWII...
was building for Nissan. With the V12 completed soon after the R381 won the Japanese Grand Prix, Nissan turned instead to developing an all-new car to house the V12 engine, now named GRX-3.
The bodywork of the new open-cockpit R382 was scratch built, sharing nothing with the R381. A wide rectangular front end replaced the rounded front of the R381, while the adjustable rear wings were eliminated due to their being outlawed by the FIA. Instead, a wing was designed into the bodywork of the tail, forming the rear fenders. Instead of allowing air freely through the bottom of the rear wing, a radiator was placed in the opening in order to better cool the new V12 engine. A large intake was also placed on top of the engine in order to better feed air to the motor.
Racing history
For the 1969 Japanese Grand PrixJapanese Grand Prix
The is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of the last, if not the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 27 World Championship Japanese...
, Nissan was facing more competition then ever before. The Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
factory decided to bring one of their new 917K
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
s to the event with Jo Siffert
Jo Siffert
Joseph Siffert was a Swiss racing driver.Affectionately known as "Seppi" to his family and close friends, Siffert was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, the son of a dairy owner...
and David Piper
David Piper
-References:...
. Various other Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
s were also part of the field. Toyota had been continuing in development of their 7
Toyota 7
The Toyota 7 was a racing car developed by Toyota Motor Company and subsidiary Yamaha Motor Corporation. Designed primarily for use in the Japanese Grand Prix, the cars were Toyota's first custom-built racing car, competing under the FIA's Group 7 rules, similar to the Can Am series in North...
, while Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
entered for the first time with their R7-Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
s.
With three R382s entered, Nissan was able to dominate the field, taking the top two positions after 320 miles. Motoharu Kurosawa
Motoharu Kurosawa
is a retired professional Japanese racing driver who was a factory driver for Nissan. After his retirement racing, he became motor journalist and also worked as an advisor and test driver for various automotive manufacturers and tyre manufacturers...
and 1966-winner Yoshikazu Sunaku would share the winning car, which finished a lap ahead of the third place Toyota 7.
In 2004, Nismo
Nismo
Nismo is the motorsports and performance division of Nissan Motor Company. Formed in 1984 as a result of a merger of two motorsport departments, Nismo cars have participated in JSPC, Formula Nippon, JTCC, 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona...
would restore one of the R382s for use in exhibition events around Japan. The car is usually run with the other cars in the R380 series.