The elusive Venturi 400 Trophy belongs to a series of 73 cars made in 1993 for the Gentleman Drivers Trophy single-make race. With around 10,000 km (6,200 miles) under its belt, the car has been modified somewhat and is now up for auction with the bidding at $115,000 and several hours on the clock.
The seller claims it is the example number 50 that took part in 1992 and 1993 racing seasons before being imported to Japan. Once there, it was rebuilt as a road-legal car (Venturi had the conversion listed as a paid option for all 400 Trophy owners). It was also resprayed in vivid red instead of the original yellow and blue.
As well, the sports car ended up with a new hood and some extra carbon-fiber kit parts, including an adjustable rear wing. The recessed headlights, the unusual-looking air intakes and Plexiglas windows all around are standard, though.
From the technical perspective, the modifications included Öhlins coilovers, BBS wheels and Brembo brakes reportedly sourced from a Ferrari 355. Despite being technically roadworthy, the car still retains a stripped interior with a roll cage, bucket seats, a racing dashboard and little else.
Power for the exotic comes from a modified 3.0-liter Peugeot V6 further upgraded with a new intake, better fuel system and a MoTeC control unit. The transmission is Renault’s manual.
