First pics/video of Nissan LMP test at COTA

Cool - front-engine too!

 

The WEC Nissan P1 is set to make it's media debut in an ad that will be run during the
Super Bowl.

They've been keeping that car under close wraps so it will be interesting to see if it
looks like the original illustrations when the car was announced.

BHW

 

A front engine-car!
Wow ....
I deplored Panoz' departure from endurance, and I am glad to see one back!

There must be some potential in that configuration if a major manufacturer like Nissan chosed in for its return to Le Mans.

It will be interesting to see.
I can't wait to see how they packaged the various components of the power unit.
The front tires look bigger than the rear tires; interesting !!!

 

cool cool cool !!!

Another nail in the F1 coffin

 

Me, too.

Yes, they are.

 

this will either be an utter disaster or a clever interpretation of the rulebook to create a giant slayer.

this will be an amazing year in WEC.

 

Out of the gate I would be surprised if it's successful. However, given time, I think they might be on to something.

Those Panoz cars were something else, and moderately successful, proving that a front engine design could be competitive.

 

I hope Nissan is on to something and can take it to the other teams.

 

Fugly

Is the Delta Wing nor RIP ?

 

Is this the Garage 57 example that Nissan is also building or the full out LMP-1 car?

If it's the LMP-1, it looks nothing like the original illustrations.

BHW

 

I think you guys are confusing this car with the Zeod that ran at LM24 last year under Garage 57 rules. that car resulted in a huge lawsuit from DeltaWing...remember, there's some big players with big money behind DeltaWing (Panoz, Duncan Dayton, Gurney, etc).

this is a new LMP1 car that will compete against Audi, Toyota, Porsche in WEC.
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Correct - completely different effort, although some of the DeltaWing folks are consulting (Bowlby for one).

This has been referred to as the "Nissan GT-R LM", a nod to the Nissan GT-R. Rumor has it there was an attempt to design some of the road car cues in with the LMP car (front engine, twin turbo V6, etc).

I think it's cool - let's see what it can do.

 

Okay, I was a bit confused as I knew Nissan were developing the Delta Wing-like
car as well as the LMP-1 contender.

The original images I saw of the Nissan LMP-1 has it looking more like the traditional
Audi, Toyota and Porsche prototypes but perhaps that was an artist's impression rather
than an official illustration.

http://www.zerotohundred.com/2013/nissan-deltawing-project-prompts-return-to-le-mans-in-2014/nissan-lmp1-concept-2014-rendering-01/

Thanks for clearing it up.

Rumors had it that Nissan were scheduled to test the car at Sebring in early December,
around the time I was there on some other business but according to sources, the Sebring
test never happened.

Good luck to them, they're going to need it.

BHW

 

no problem!

AFAIK, the Zeod project is dead in the water.

 

More than consulting: DeltaWing alumni Ben Bowlby and Zack Eakin are up to their elbows on the program, as Nissan Director of Motorsport Innovation and chief designer respectively. The GT-R LM project has taken advantage of the openness of the LMP1 technical regulations to explore the many (and wild) packaging possibilities of a hybrid race car...

 

Ben Bowlby worked for Panoz, and designed one of their car, another front-engine.
So, he must know the advantages and drawbacks with that configuration.
As I remember, the Panoz were not bad cars, and won several races against stiff opposition.
I like something that is different.
Thanks God, you can still experiment in LMP, unlike F1!

 

Actually, Reynard Racing Cars produced the first two-engined Panoz race cars, with Andrew Thorby penning the final design in 1999... Ben Bowlby was working for Lola throughout this period.