Nissan GT-R LMP1 '15

[Miao]

Nissan has unveiled their new GT-R LM NISMO to compete in the 2015 World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

To call it “radical” would be an understatement: the car is a front-wheel-drive, front-engine prototype, powered by a 600hp twin-turbo V6. The gearbox is also connected to flywheels capable of sending up to 1,000hp to the rear wheels in “three second bursts” – although those rear wheels will be nearly half as wide as those in the front. Needless to say, there has never been anything quite like this on a race track before.

According to recent comments by Nissan Global Motorsports Director Darren Cox, the GT-R LM NISMO will be “completely tied to gaming”, and is all but confirmed for eventual inclusion in Gran Turismo.

Although the car’s full driver line-up has yet to be announced (2009 Le Mans winner Marc Gené is the first to be confirmed), GT Academy champions boast years of international endurance racing experience for Nissan – including class podiums at Le Mans – and will be considered as the company evaluates who to put behind the wheel.

As reported by Road & Track, GT Academy champion Jann Mardenborough is currently in the running, and has helped to test the car during its development. He was also the driver behind the wheel at the Circuit of the Americas, where Nissan filmed their “With Dad” Super Bowl commercial.

[Bush]

You know, for Bush, ALL of the current LMP cars look a little wierd. Based on that, this one, quite honestly, looks almost normal.

Almost, Bush cannot understand why they made it a FWD.

-Bush

[Not a Guest]

Bush cannot understand why they made it a FWD.

-Bush

I think they are shooting themselves in the foot by making it a front wheel drive. The layout is interesting and the front engine could work, especially for Le Mans, but the FWD is a hindrance, there's a good reason why people don't do it.

[Prepsi]

FWD PFFFFFT HAHAHA
Wait, they were serious?

[Beardroid91]

FWD lolz Audi got it in the bag this year

[Miao]

This will be the first LMP to have the engine in the front since the Panoz, at least to my knowledge.

Unfortunately, the front wheel drive part is a turn off for me, I think Nissan is countin' on it havin' a lot of mechanical grip to compensate for the lower downforce body. So there might be a theory there, but I don't know, sometimes Nissan tries so hard to be different that they hold themselves back.

FWD lolz Audi got it in the bag this year

Ah heck no, anything but Audi, please.

Even Porsche winnin' it would be better.

[Prepsi]

This will be the first LMP to have the engine in the front since the Panoz, at least to my knowledge.

Unfortunately, the front wheel drive part is a turn off for me, I think Nissan is countin' on it havin' a lot of mechanical grip to compensate for the lower downforce body. So there might be a theory there, but I don't know, sometimes Nissan tries so hard to be different that they hold themselves back.

FWD lolz Audi got it in the bag this year

Ah heck no, anything but Audi, please.

Even Porsche winnin' it would be better.

TBH I prefer BMW for road cars [out of the german big 3 that is] but for competition, especially LMP it's Audi or bust, how many consecutive Le Mans wins have they had?

[死の (Shino)]

[Miao]

TBH I prefer BMW for road cars [out of the german big 3 that is] but for competition, especially LMP it's Audi or bust, how many consecutive Le Mans wins have they had?

They're currently on a 5 Le Mans winnin' streak, but if you look at the results of 2000 until 2014 you will see that they were only stopped 4 times, with only 2 of these times bein' by a team not usin' an Audi too (that was Peugeot and Bentley).

To be honest it is annoyin' when one person/team/car always win. Formula 1 had that problem with some pilots I guess, but that's none of my concern since I don't care about that racing series.

I just want someone different to win the 2015 Le Mans, I wish Sauber and Bentley came back to Le Mans.

[MadManCK]

I don't see any resemblance to the GT-R road car. Therefore this is just another example of pointless branding and marketing. It can even backfire when this car does not bring the succes they are aiming for.

But it would be cool if they can make a stand in Le Mans. Certain brands are dominating that event for way too long now. The first other manufacturer to break that cycle will be a big winner. And can gain a lot of publicity and reputation points from it.

Maybe LM will be more interesting this year.


PS The Bentley that competed in LM was an Audi with a hard top.