At the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan unveiled a sporty concept reminiscent of the Lotus Seven. It was an open cockpit design with bulging fenders featuring a 1.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged engine. The concept had a fitting name for its unconventional design, the Nissan Saurus. Nissan marketed the concept as part of a pair rather than adding more sensible features to the Saurus, such as a roof. The Jura minivan concept was introduced as a practical complement to the roadster. This approach was very radical for the Japanese market, where space for two automobiles was unrealistic for most, so it was safely assumed the Saurus concept was never meant to see production. Surprisingly enough, the twin-charged engine made its way into production in 1989 through the March/Micra Super Turbo.
Despite the impracticality of the Saurus concept, one department of Nissan saw potential in the design. Nismo, Nissan’s motorsports division, created the Saurus Cup race series in 1989. The series featured single-seater sheet metal tub racecars with fiberglass molded bodies replicating the Saurus concept. The car was also used for Nissan Racing School. The successor to the Saurus racecar, the Saurus Jr., is still used for advanced racing classes today.
Source: Grand JDM via Nissan Saurus Jr. Racecar, www.autoblog.com
Images: Nissan
Picture above: 1987 Nissan Saurus Concept
Pictured above: 1989 Nissan Saurus Cup Racecar
Pictured above: 1991 Nissan Saurus Jr. Racecar