Having withdrawn from the BTCC in 1994, Nissan popped back in '96 to support privateer Primera racers. They didn't really trouble the big names, so in 1997 they officially campaigned a P11 Primera that had been developed by Ray Mallock Limited (RML); lower, stiffer and with far improved aero addenda, it had 320bhp on offer from its 2.0-litre four, fed through a six-speed sequential Xtrac box. They roped in David Leslie and Antony Reid to drive it, and ended the '97 season in fifth place on the manufacturer's table.
A few tweaks over the winter saw another marked improvement in performance, winning 9 of the 23 races in '98.
The team also offered parts and support to Team Dynamics, for whom Matt Neal was running as an independent; he took his Primera to victory as the first independent to win the championship outright, earning him a £250,000 bonus from TOCA.
Nissan's work was done. They withdrew from the BTCC after the 1999 season.
These photos show one of the '99 cars being driven up the hill by Anthony Reid at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years ago. It certainly hasn't lost any pace over the years...
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