Page 1 of 2 Next >> In 2015 Nissan will enter the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO into the full FIA World Endurance Championship, marking a return to the premier class at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the Japanese manufacturer. Nissan will challenge for victory with an innovative approach and with a truly exciting product that represents the next generation of the Nissan GT-R.
"We are excited to be going head-to-head with the best sports car racing manufacturers in the world," commented Roel de Vries, global head of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Nissan. "LM P1 is a proving ground for technological innovation, especially when it comes to the power sources of the future. In 2014 three different manufacturers using three different powertrain combinations won races. If you ever needed proof that LM P1 is the sharp end, this is it."
Nissan might have been absent from the top class at Le Mans for 16 years, but the company has been very active in other categories building an envied sports car ladder that runs from the new LM P3 category, through a world-beating engine supply program in LM P2, and onto the top step to LM P1 via the ACO's clever "Garage 56" program, a unique class at Le Mans reserved for innovative technology that falls outside of the normal regulations.
"Our LM P3 engine supply programme is a new venture for us, but if it is nearly as successful as our LM P2 program we will be very proud of our achievements," said Shoichi Miyatani, president of NISMO. "Our LM P2 engine has powered teams to championship victories and class wins at Le Mans. Our Garage 56 projects have led us to LM P1 and the innovations that we have employed. Enormous lessons were learned from the very heavy hybridization of the Nissan ZEOD RC, and we've carried those lessons over into this project."
LM P1 cars are the most extreme sports cars in racing today so, for Nissan and NISMO, the opportunity to innovate at the highest level could not be missed.
"These cars represent the pinnacle of current racing technology: huge energy recovery systems, super fuel-efficient engines and wild aerodynamics, creating extremely fast cars for their weight and endurance," said Nissan's LM P1 Team Principal, Ben Bowlby. "These are 24-hour racing cars that cover practically a whole Formula One season in one Le Mans race. It's a very different challenge to F1 and much more relevant to what's going on in road cars. If you drive from say London to Edinburgh you expect the car to get through the miles and be fast, stable, comfortable and safe and provide the handling and grip you might need if you have to come off the motorway and take some back roads. That's the sort of challenge that Le Mans represents. It's all about having a fast, efficient and safe car." Page 1 of 2 Next >>
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In 2015 Nissan will enter the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO into the full FIA World Endurance Championship, marking a return to the premier class at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the Japanese manufacturer. Nissan will challenge for victory with an innovative approach and with a truly exciting product that represents the next generation of the Nissan GT-R.