Last night, Nissan held a super-exclusive event to show the radical new GT-R LM Nismo – a super-exclusive event that I meandered into. This was the first time that Nissan’s radical new LMP1 entry made an appearance that wasn’t on TV. Click past the jump for some shots and my quick first impressions.
After seeing Nissan’s Deltawing race in person a few times, I can say that the GT-R LM Nismo is much bigger in person than I was expecting. The front-engine, front-wheel drive layout means the car is fairly long and it’s as wide as an LMP1 car should be. It is however very, very, very short. If it weren’t on a platform it would have probably gone up to my waist at most.
But the one thing that I love most about it is how menacing it looks. As I walked in the car was covered under a black fabric with only the lights piercing through the cover and it’s low, edgy silhouette to suggest that a beast is underneath. The covers came off and I almost felt intimidated, as if I was an Audi, Porsche, or Toyota driver and saw it in my mirror on the Mulsanne straight.
It looks stunning. It looks angry. It looks like it’s ready to win Le Mans.
[Images © 2015 Hooniverse/Greg Kachadurian]
2015 Chicago Auto Show: the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo
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is it really FWD?
either way, i gotta hand it to nissan for being, as always, today's most interesting mainstream carmaker. i hope this is FWD, just because it'll probably lead to some neat shit trickling down to everyday cars that people actually buy.-
The twin turbo V6 petrol engine is front mounted and drives the front wheels. There is supplemental hybrid electric power supplied to all four wheels.
This is a revolutionary concept in motorsport, and this car is full of little tricks. I'm sure Mr. Eric Rood will chime in here soon, he knows more about this car than I do.
Super cool stuff, though. The Aero is the really interesting bit. The air flows through from the front all the way through the car.-
We're actually going down shortly to shoot a bit of video on the car
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Will I see this car at Sebring next month?
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Negative, Ghostrider.
Sebring is not a WEC event, and has not been since 2013. It's still under IMSA control, but IMSA's Tudor United Sports Car Championship does not run to the same specs as the World Endurance Championship. No LMP1s at Sebring. -
Word on the street: Testing at Sebring with Audi, March 2nd-6th. Unable to confirm.
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Nissan confirmed it would be testing in Florida in the coming weeks, but they wouldn't say dates.
I have more information, some in the video we shot today and more in interviews from Darren Cox and Jann Mardenbrough, one of the recently announced drivers.
Fun fact: This car has been tested in the wind tunnel exactly once.
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This is what is meant by prototype racing.
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The World Endurance Championship deserves a lot of credit for actually writing prototype regulations that stimulate experimentation. If Nissan's experiment works, I wonder how many other OEMs will throw their cards into LMP1.
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yes, yes it is.
it has big fat front tires and skinnier rears to compensate. -
I love Nissan's approach. The car is intimidating as hell to look at, and hopefully it pushes Audi and Peugeot to greater things.
Here's one without all the body panels.
<img width=500 src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/nissan-gt-r-lm-nismo-lmp1_100499410_l-640×426.jpg">-
Peugeot quit prototype racing a number of years ago…
It's Audi, Porsche, Toyota, and Nissan now. -
Are you sure that's the same car? The greenhouse looks quite different and the rear structure looks like it is higher than the body panels sit on the car above.
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So apparently I get to hear "Cat's in the Cradle" in my head everytime I see this car or the new Maxima.
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They played that commercial before unveiling the car today. They must have thrown dust into the air, too. Lots of dust so my eyes watered up a bit.
Totally not tears.
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