Last night at between Sunday and Monday, Nissan finally launched their new endurance programme. In the half-time of the Super Bowl, the Japanese manufacture presented a one and a half minute commercial which released the manufacture’s new car for the first time to the public.
With the slogan “A Hero Comes Home” the advert advertised Nissan’s new LMP1 challenger. The return of Nissan will see them race in the top class at Le Mans and in a full season of top level endurance for the first time in 17 years. Marketing Director Roel de Vires said: “The GT-R is our flagship road car,” he continued. “This, the ultimate GT-R, continues a sporting bloodline that goes back three decades with NISMO, the motorsport and performance arm of Nissan. Le Mans drives innovation so success on the track will lead to greater innovation in our road car range. We are the new kids at Le Mans; our opponents are the best in the world but we are ready.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd1qCi5nSKw
Nissan’s GT-R LM will provide the team’s first taste of LMP1. For the Japanese, it was important to break new ground and to match the conventions of their road cars in their new race car. The new GT-R LM is the first prototype of the modern age with a front engine, therefore, which is mounted between the front wheels. It is also front wheel drive, something very un-orthodox for modern high performance race cars. The Nissan is powered by a NISMO VRX 30A, 3.0-liter V6 petrol engine which drives the front wheels only. At the rear there is an electric motor Cosworth, which can be fed off of the drivers if required and accordingly only drives the rear wheels. With the use of both drive units of the GT-R LM can manage an incredible total output of 1250 bhp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gx_E23VpQQ
The car is 4.6 meters long, 1.9 meters wide and 1.03 meters high with a total weight of 880 kilograms and a fuel tank capacity of 68 liters. While the front wheels have a size of 14 inches due to the high engine weight, the rears are only 9 inches.
The first official driver was presented last night in the form of Spaniard, Marc Gené. Gené recently drove for Audi at Le Mans stepping in for the injured Loic Duval in the #1 Audi R18. He joined Tom Kristensen and Lucas di Grassi on his way to seconds place overall in the endurance epic. The rest of the drivers are yet to be confirmed. Three more drivers will be announced on the fifth of February at the WEC season launch.
Source: Nissan Motorsports