Welcome to the automotive hall of “what could have been.” Today, we dive headfirst into the neon-lit fever dream of the 1970s, where Japanese innovation collided with the stubborn brick wall of homologation regulations. Meet the Dome P2, the follow-up to the Dome Zero and arguably one of the most fascinating footnotes in supercar history.

But first, some context. Dome Co., Ltd., the brainchild of Japanese motorsport visionary Minoru Hayashi, started life in 1975 with grand ambitions: build a Le Mans race car and fund the effort by selling road cars in limited production. Enter the Dome Zero, a wedge-shaped rocket designed to take on the European elite. Sadly, Japanese regulators were less than enthusiastic, blocking the Zero from hitting the streets.

Rather than wallow in defeat, Hayashi and his team doubled down, crafting a follow-up prototype: the Dome P2. Their aim? Crack the lucrative North American market and give the Zero a second lease on life.

Blade Runner Chic

First impressions? The Dome P2 looks like something a 1979 Ridley Scott might have parked on the set of Blade Runner. All sharp angles, ultra-low slung proportions, and enough straight lines to make a T-square weep with joy. The original Zero’s aggressive wedge design remained intact, but the P2 got a touch of practicality—or at least as much practicality as you can squeeze into a car designed for sci-fi posters and bedroom walls.

To appease U.S. crash regulations, Dome added chunky impact-absorbing polyurethane bumpers front and rear, giving the P2 a more substantial, road-ready presence. These tweaks made it look less concept and more production car—if you squinted.

Inside, the changes were even more dramatic. The cabin went from minimalist race-ready to something more suited to long-haul cruising. Think futuristic gauges, bucket seats, and the sort of retro-cool dashboard that wouldn’t look out of place in an arcade game.

Power to the Pyramids

Underneath all that angular allure lurked the same Nissan L28E inline-six found in the original Zero. This 2.8-liter lump produced a respectable 145 horsepower—a decent figure for the era. There were rumors of turbocharging or a Toyota straight-six alternative for production models, but alas, those dreams went the way of the DeLorean’s stainless-steel body panels.

Still, with a sub-1,000 kg curb weight, the P2 promised plenty of fun, and Road & Track’s 1979 review gave it a thumbs-up, praising its razor-sharp looks and impressive performance.

The Price of Ambition

Here’s where things get sticky. Dome pegged the P2’s price between $30,000 and $60,000—serious cash for the time, putting it in league with Ferraris and Lamborghinis. But the P2 faced an even bigger hurdle than sticker shock: red tape.

Dome’s engineers gave it their all, but the P2 still couldn’t pass U.S. crash regulations. Back home in Japan, it faced a similar bureaucratic blockade. Hayashi tried to circumvent the issue by marketing the P2 as an “export-only” car, allowing Japanese buyers to re-import it via the grey market. Clever? Yes. Successful? Not so much.

In the end, Dome built just two P2 prototypes alongside the lone Zero. The dream of a Japanese supercar that could go toe-to-toe with the Italians? Shelved.

A Legacy of Dreams

The Dome P2 may never have hit production lines, but its legacy lives on in the imaginations of car enthusiasts worldwide. It represents a rare moment in automotive history when unbridled ambition wasn’t tempered by practicality.

So, here’s to the Dome P2: a car that wasn’t just ahead of its time—it might have been from another timeline altogether.

Would you take the wheel of this 1979 masterpiece of “what if?” We’d like to think so.

Browse Dome items in our archive 👉 here