Wednesday 21st March 2012

Nissan DeltaWing on video

Experimental endurance racer revealed in 'full flight' for the first time

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This video is the first public outing of the dramatic and deeply experimental Nissan DeltaWing Le Mans prototype that will make its debut at the Circuit de La Sarthe this year.

Obviously it's not going at ten-tenths in these vids but it does at least prove that the concept is moving in the right direction (ie forwards, with all four wheels on the ground).

We're not quite sure what to make of the DeltaWing here at PH HQ, though. It looks downright weird and it's hard to imagine it looking anything other than a bit awkward at ten-tenths cornering.

Then again, it's truly great to see something this innovative in motorsport (that isn't electric or diesel-powered) and, even though it won't be scoring any points at Le Mans this year, it'll be great to see it at the famous race.

Besides, it provides us with a great opportunity for naff headline puns... Delta force...on a wing and a prayer...Bravo, Delta...Nissan's Delta blow for convention...winging it...what a Delta... (Stop it, Riggers - Ed)

Find out more about the DeltaWing in our recent feature on it

 

[SAndals]

Reckon my v60 could corner at similar speeds (on a Sunday, with the dog in the back - and the shopping!)

Go on - give it the full beans....I want to see it fall over!

[iain1970]

It reminds me of watching sidecar racing on Grandstand as a kid. I hope the project does well.

[TobesH]

New Nissan DeltaWing


Batmobile

[beanbag]

He's fighting that steering a wee bit....I dread to think how it handles under anger.

[filski666]

I wonder how many times the drivers will go for gaps they think it is narrow enough to fit through, but forget about the huge arse on it?

[bigrich4]

You can build your own DeltaWing at home folks:

[garypotter]

Great footage, and a design from way out of the box, i cannot see how they can get so much front end grip with such a narrow span!
good luck and hope to see this arrow on a circuit near us soon

[DavidCane]

I remember Coventry Uni trying something similar on their Formula Student car but they did this the other ways round. The rear was two wheels at the centre line of the car and teh front was a regular arrangement.....it rolled if I remember correctly.

[KB_S1]

garypotter said:

Great footage, and a design from way out of the box, i cannot see how they can get so much front end grip with such a narrow span!
good luck and hope to see this arrow on a circuit near us soon

Haven't really seen any evidence of high front end grip yet though.
By racing car standards the corner speeds were pretty low.
I hope it does make good progress as it would hopefully throw up some other ideas from others.

[RobinRhysJones]

Shame Nissan didn't design it!

[CBR JGWRR]

DavidCane said:

I remember Coventry Uni trying something similar on their Formula Student car but they did this the other ways round. The rear was two wheels at the centre line of the car and teh front was a regular arrangement.....it rolled if I remember correctly.

Umm, yeah. Led to a change in the regulations...

[McSam]

So why would they choose their first publicity video to be one of it going exactly as slowly as everyone expects it to?

I personally think they can maybe do the pace they say they will, but why show this video where it just looks.. a bit disappointing?

The in-car video is taken at a different time, and he is trying rather harder there - you can hear the faintest chirp of brake lock too.

[mgv8]

I love it..its been such a long time for some thing very different to come along. Video was a bit slow but I expect the PR man said to take it slow. I wish them luck...

[Mark Wibble]

KB_S1 said:

garypotter said:

Great footage, and a design from way out of the box, i cannot see how they can get so much front end grip with such a narrow span!

Haven't really seen any evidence of high front end grip yet though.
By racing car standards the corner speeds were pretty low.

The parent article about the car says how far back the CofG is, so grip-wise at the front you can get away with far less and still corner as hard. More important to me is the stability- but similarly, if the CofG is far enough back and low enough, the direction that mass tries to travel under steering (+braking) won't go beyond the line between outer wheels (where if it did it would topple). Roughly speaking.

All comes down to the sums wot they did, and one would hope a company like Nissan would ensure everything's been worked out properly...

[DavidCane]

CBR JGWRR said:

Umm, yeah. Led to a change in the regulations...

Nothing to do with you was it??

[timewatch]

It's a Tricycle!

First bit of oil on the track and it's off!

TW>>>

[Blackpuddin]

Really want to like this and see it do well but any fule kno that this 'one up front, two at the back' configuration is just plain wrong. Ask Del Trotter or Clive Sinclair.

[MarJay]

That looks slow. I reckon there are plenty of trackday vids out there with faster vehicles than that thing...

[CBR JGWRR]

DavidCane said:

CBR JGWRR said:

Umm, yeah. Led to a change in the regulations...

Nothing to do with you was it??

Not me as such, but I know the people responsible.

[Repent]

Hmm, leisurely...

I wouldn't have released that personally. Everyone expects it to work at those speeds, it would be a massive embarrassment if it wasn't bolted together well enough for that. We want to see its supposed groundeffects at work!

Either things arent going as well as planned, or they want us to think that they aren't and behind closed gates its an absolute animal

Really, really, reeeeally hope its the latter...