Nissan Heading To Le Mans With 1,250-HP GT-R LM Nismo

Endurance racing faced a pivotal year in 2012. The FIA and the ACO had just come together to form the new World Endurance Championship when Peugeot announced it was shuttering its team, leaving only one manufacturer to contest the top LMP1 class of the nascent series. Fortunately Toyota was able to advance its program to join Audi in the WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two seasons later Porsche joined the fight, and now Nissan has formally announced its return to Le Mans as well.

Revealed in Nissan's With Dad spot during the Super Bowl, the Japanese automaker is set to join the grid with the innovative GT-R LM Nismo you see here. It's a hybrid just like the challengers from Audi, Porsche and Toyota, but instead of a mid-engine/rear-drive setup, Nissan's oddball challenger places its engine in the front, driving the front wheels.
 

7msynthetic - 2/2/2015 5:36:38 PM

+1 Boost

1,250 hp is not true (yet). It's an estimate provided they are able to develop a hybrid drive within the 880 kg weight limit, which they have admitted is their biggest problem and challenge right now.

runninglogan1 - 2/2/2015 11:07:42 PM

+1 Boost

Yikes! That's one ugly race car. 1250 hp to the front wheels? Nissan has either discovered a secret sauce that has eluded every other manufacturer or this is the dumbest race car design in ages.