Tuesday 13th March 2012

Nissan powers DeltaWing Le Mans bid

Carmaker throws its weight behind radical racer as a test bed for road car engines

---

We reported last July on confirmation that the incredible looking DeltaWing racer had been granted an entry into this year's Le Mans and today the plot has thickened further with Nissan officially heading the project up.

PH has a man on the ground at the launch of the collaboration taking place in London today and a full, in-depth story will follow shortly.

But the short version is that Nissan is now an official partner in the project, the car gaining a sinister coat of black paint to appear even more Batmobile like and a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder DIG-T engine vaguely related to that used by the Juke. It'll develop around 300hp but that's half the power - and cylinder count - of most LMP1 and LMP2 rivals, the DeltaWing's lap times nonetheless expected to be on a pace between these two classes.

As we reported previously, the DeltaWing has been given the ceremonial 'garage 56' reserved for experimental cars and Nissan will be hoping the bold claims for aerodynamic efficiency will play out. Clearly there'll be nothing like the DeltaWing competing in the race, the car racing with a number 0 and not eligible for any points or prizes beyond the glory of being the most radical looking car on the grid and a very visible symbol of how pioneering race technology can, hopefully, translate to road cars of the future. Audi has, of course, long made such claims with the TDI technology underpinning its recent Le Mans dominance but the Nissan DeltaWing takes this to a whole new level.

Drivers have so far been confirmed as Marino Franchitti and reigning Nissan LMP1 champion Michael Krumm. The car will make its first demonstration laps in Sebring in a few days and we'll be taking a more detailed look very soon.

 

[ktm301p]

Wow, that looks striking to say the least. This should make Le Mans even more interesting!

[CBR JGWRR]

The general Motorsports thread has a vid of it running.

[SAndals]

We've been here before....it'll fall over at first corner, right?

[CBR JGWRR]

SAndals said:

We've been here before....it'll fall over at first corner, right?

It seems alright...

[Balmoral]

How does it not understeer like a pig? unless that is one single wheel at the front, 1200mm wide?

[rob.e]

Great news!

I met the designer Ben Bowlby a couple of years ago. Very nice chap.

Hopefully the corporate backing will mean this gets the cash needed to fund a proper entry.

[PascalBuyens]

Balmoral said:

How does it not understeer like a pig? unless that is one single wheel at the front, 1200mm wide?

Think it has two wheels up front....

[neilpurves]

Looks like one of those airport tugs that reverse the planes out onto the taxiways?
With that fin at the back it looks like it has swallowed the plane...

[CBR JGWRR]

Balmoral said:

How does it not understeer like a pig? unless that is one single wheel at the front, 1200mm wide?

I don't know, but it works...

[Balmoral]

PascalBuyens said:

Balmoral said:

How does it not understeer like a pig? unless that is one single wheel at the front, 1200mm wide?

Think it has two wheels up front....

I was being sarcastic

With that narrow track, and LWB, how does it not go anywhere else other than straight on, in the wet? I've never seen a top fuel dragster on a GP circuit.

[mig25_foxbat2003]

Amazing looking beast. I hope they make the drivers race in Batman and Robin fancy dress...

Also, I'm not normally a member of the PH Elite Grammar Stormtrooper Brigade, but even I must have a little whinge about the following:

Hungover Dan said:

It'll develop around 300hp but that's half the power - and cylinder count - of most LMP1 and LMP2 rivals, the DeltaWing's lap times nonetheless expected to be on a pace between these two classes.

Hungover Dan said:

Clearly there'll be nothing like the DeltaWing competing in the race, the car racing with a number 0 and not eligible for any points or prizes beyond the glory of being the most radical looking car on the grid and a very visible symbol of how pioneering race technology can, hopefully, translate to road cars of the future.

What a fking awful pair of sentences

[alexpa]

Will there be a road version, with GTR mechanicals?

[Vocal Minority]

It's grip is generated by a large amount of aerdynamic downforce rather than mechanical grip. Hence being able to do corners.

[Vocal Minority]

It's all underbody I am told.

(I'm just playing devil's advocate in favour that amount of panning it has received!)

[s1nful]

HELLO!!!! Batman at Le Mans.......

[robmlufc]

Half the weight of an LMP and twice the mileage is suppose to help, theoretical lap time is 3:45 which is in the pack of LMP2s.

Good luck to it going around the Porsche Curves with a pack of cars.

[PascalBuyens]

doogz said:

The thing is, it doesn't really look like the front end is going to produce huge amounts of downforce?

Sometimes looks can be deceiving... I suspect there to be a lot of ground effects pulling the front really down.

And looking at the front, somehow reminds me (all be it smaller) a bit of a Dodge Charger Daytona's "nose"... Still one of the most aerodynamical design to this day...

[chickensoup]

A modern day Bond Bug

[Michael Bakker]

Will this car race during the WEC 6 Hours at Spa-Francorchamps in May?

[robmlufc]

Michael Bakker said:

Will this car race during the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May?

No, Le Mans only.