WEC / Le Mans – Nissan in LMP1 with the GT-R LM Nismo

As we announced to you on April 23 in issue 1957 of AUTOhebdo, Nissan will strengthen the workforce of manufacturers in LMP1 next year with the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo which will compete against Audi, Toyota et Porsche en WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Japanese brand has shown interest in the category for several seasons. After having powered the DeltaWing which occupied the 56th stand in 2012, Nissan itself developed the Zeod RC for this year's Le Mans double clock tower. Without a doubt, the Japanese training will highlight a technologically advanced engine.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do”, commented Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Office & Executive Vice-President of Nissan, during the press conference in London. “There is no better place than this new marketing market in Europe and on the Le Mans circuit to showcase our innovations. We chose to do this conference rather than another to emphasize the fact that when we enter competition, we do it in a different way. We congratulate the FIA ​​and the ACO for the work carried out on the regulations.

If Nissan is careful not to reveal certain details of the prototype, managers are particularly confident about the success of the project. “LMP1 is not just a category for tough guys: all our opponents have taken different paths and we will do the same,” adds Andy Palmer. “We want to win in a different way against our rivals, with a different hybrid car than Porsche, Audi or Toyota which seem identical to me. This technology should be able to be applied to passenger cars by offering an innovative approach. I believe that this car will go down in history, not only because it won Le Mans but also because it will have made Nismo's link between success on the track and on the road. »

Nissan's last participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans dates back to 1999 with the R391. The Japanese manufacturer had managed to take the last step of the podium the previous year. Nissan specified that the drivers could come from both inside and outside the Japanese structure. The teaser of the GT-R LM Nismo is accessible on this link.

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