RE: DeltaWinging it with Nissan at Le Mans

RE: DeltaWinging it with Nissan at Le Mans

Monday 18th June 2012

DeltaWinging it with Nissan at Le Mans

Was Nissan the real winner at this year's Le Mans? We get the inside line on Nissan's experimental racer



Yep, I've been at another 24-hour race with Nissan - but you've got to admit that the company had one of the most interesting stories to tell at this year's Le Mans. 'Just how long will the DeltaWing actually last?' was the question on everybody's lips at the start. And by the time it was over, the car had captured not only the imagination but also the majority of hearts.

Nissan-engined cab didn't quite make it
Nissan-engined cab didn't quite make it
No black cabs were terminally injured in the creation of this feature...
In typical press junket fashion, getting to Le Mans wasn't simply a case of hopping into a car, blasting the Autoroute and then logging onto the Nissan media hub wifi. We actually set off on Thursday from the Folkestone Premier Inn in a convoy of brand new/modern classic Nissan performance machinery. And a black cab.

The Micra 350SR - the one with the 350Z engine in the boot - was due to head this outward-bound cavalcade. But thanks to a mix-up with its ignition system it wouldn't start. The black cab, meanwhile, was of Nissan-engine vintage - hence the connection. Nissan's UK PR operation bought it two weeks ago, and the mileage is supposedly close to a million. Which only makes it more of a shame that it blew up while I was driving...

Moving swiftly on.

Over the course of the day I also drove - but didn't explode - a base-model 370Z (the 313hp 3.7-litre alternative to the GT86/BRZ), and then a regular 2012 GT-R back-to-back with the Track Pack. Can't split the two for raw speed, but the Track Pack is certainly livelier over challenging surfaces. Louder, too. Perhaps due to the lack of rear seat insulation.

DeltaWing rep literally stopped traffic...
DeltaWing rep literally stopped traffic...
If these guys are Batman, does that mean the French police are Robbin'...?
At our overnight in Chartres, custom car mad man Andy Saunders joined us for dinner. Which meant that the road-going DeltaWing replica he'd been building for Top Gear magazine was complete. Finished in just five weeks, when this emerged from the underground car park the next morning it literally stopped the traffic.

Andy and mechanic mate Jim Chalmers then drove their DeltaWing the remaining miles to Le Mans in procession with a pair Qashqais and an NV200 van sporting DeltaWing-esque adornments, and crammed full of competition-winning Nissan staff dressed as Batman. The police stopped it twice, but the Westfield-based 'Wing only broke down once, and didn't caused any eye-popped onlookers to have actual accidents. Though it was apparently close on occasion.

My final steed for the journey was a wonderfully unmolested 22,000-mile R34 Skyline GT-R. Strange how retro this car feels by modern standards. A lovely, lovely tool - and a crowd-pleasing success. A prelude to the fans' exceptional reception to the real DeltaWing's on-track experiment.

...as did its entourage
...as did its entourage
Warning: incoming irony hammer
Nissan's Friday afternoon press briefing revealed that the real DeltaWing's drivers don't know how it goes round corners either.

Beyond that and the total lack of conventional reference points for refining the set-up (you can't exactly add more wing when the only one is the car itself...), Franchitti and Krumm were clearly relaxed and very happy to be involved. No doubting Motoyama's commitment either - as we were to shortly find out - but he missed the briefing trying to shake off a cold.

Nissan was massively downplaying the DeltaWing's chances of survival, however. Nissan Europe General Manager Darren Cox and others even suggesting two hours of running would be counted as a success. Not because of the radical design, but because the project was just 100 days old, and only 10 of these had involved any testing.

R34 seemed positively conventional
R34 seemed positively conventional
Hard to say whether this makes the attack of the irony hammer any better or worse when it came to the race.

Michael Krumm drove the first stint, and struck problems almost immediately. With suddenly rising engine temperatures it looked like the tiny 1.6-litre turbo was about to embarrass itself, then a TV close-up exposed a plastic bag stuck in the air intake, quickly resolved. Trouble with a gearbox actuator was trickier and much more time-consuming - 12 laps lost by one of the DeltaWing's few off-the-shelf parts.

But with this sorted the car began to work properly. Tyre wear was as low as anticipated, nothing else was going wrong and by around the six-hour markthe team was apparently beginning to believe it might make the finish.

Then the DeltaWing was punted off the track by a front-running Toyota.

DeltaWing was running strongly
DeltaWing was running strongly
A heroic passing:
That this came after a lengthy safety car period necessitated by a massive crash involving the other front-running Toyota didn't make it any better for anybody. Satoshi Motoyama was on his second stint in the DeltaWing, and spent an hour and a half trying in vain to get it going again, as the team looked on helpless though the catch-fencing.

Unfortunately, with busted driveshafts and steering damage the attempt eventually had to be abandoned. It left chief tester Marino Franchitti without the opportunity to drive the DeltaWing in anger - and he most certainly was angry at that point - while the Toyota was also forced to retire due to the impact. On Sunday, driver Kazuki Nakajima would come to the DeltaWing pit in person to apologise.

Until a run-in with a Toyota ended it
Until a run-in with a Toyota ended it
All of which also handed victory to Audi. With still about two-thirds of the race left.

Obviously the DeltaWing was never about challenging for overall glory; running beyond the rules it was unclassified anyway. But as an exercise in grabbing attention grabbing - not just for Nissan but all of sports car racing - its innovation has been an unmitigated success. You can see that in the reaction following its demise.

Author
Discussion

woof

Original Poster:

8,456 posts

276 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
It was a genius marketing exercise !
Create a car with zero hope of competing. Make it look like a batmobile, complete with mat black paint work and wings.

I only wish I'd thought of it and sold them the idea. Brilliant.


VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Let's hope it's back next year in some form or that something equally mad turns up.

mgv8

1,631 posts

270 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Its was fast and did not need so much up keep. There is a chance for it yet...and so good to see some thing different.

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
I'm glad it exists! I agree, Nissan did well, and we all "felt sorry", especially for the way in which they were punted out.

It would be interesting to know how it would have faired with similar weight/BHP to either LMP1 or 2, but nevertheless it's great it was there and great that people are taking such gambles.

Roll on LM 2013 biggrin

jazzdevil

294 posts

213 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
I agree, it was fantastic just for being prepared to be so different - definitely a sad way to end it's run this year.

Seeing the 'entourage' pics, does anyone have a photo of the Ford Ka based 'tribute' that was running around Houx on Friday night?

Skywalker

3,269 posts

213 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
A very clever concept. I would like to see it back and perhaps not as restricted by the regulations. Now if only they could put an eff off Bat sign on the side...

HowMuchLonger

3,003 posts

192 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
woof said:
It was a genius marketing exercise !
Create a car with zero hope of competing.
I am sure it did compete though, unless they faked all the LeMans coverage.

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Skywalker said:
A very clever concept. I would like to see it back and perhaps not as restricted by the regulations. Now if only they could put an eff off Bat sign on the side...
They could project the bat symbol into the sky whenever they want it to pit.

vincegail

2,456 posts

154 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
I saw a roadlegal deltawing on Houx this weekend? Anybody got pictures?

jazzdevil

294 posts

213 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Skywalker said:
A very clever concept. I would like to see it back and perhaps not as restricted by the regulations. Now if only they could put an eff off Bat sign on the side...
Now that you mention it, I wonder why they didn't hook up with Legendary Entertainment to get some Bat sponsorship on it - the movie is only out in a few weeks!

Greg 172

233 posts

200 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
jazzdevil said:
Now that you mention it, I wonder why they didn't hook up with Legendary Entertainment to get some Bat sponsorship on it - the movie is only out in a few weeks!
Even more suprising when you consider the current Juke TV advert has some inexplicable Batman cross promotion. Weird.

Repent

358 posts

172 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Great article, but no word on the actual pace of this thing? Was it setting reasonable laps and did the concept show promise?

crmcatee

5,691 posts

226 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
I hope it's back next year but with scythes mounted to the wheels (ala chariot style) to repel vehicles that come too close smile


Richard330s

63 posts

161 months

Monday 18th June 2012
quotequote all
Awesome Attempt at Avoiding Audi Domination Again.
long live the bat winging it concept.

Maybe someone needs to enter a Reliant....

gsd2000

11,515 posts

182 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
vincegail said:
I saw a roadlegal deltawing on Houx this weekend? Anybody got pictures?
got videos of the dodgy looking one, but there was a very good replica about aswell

heard rumours that topgear had something to do with the dodgy looking one

Red Firecracker

5,276 posts

226 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
Repent said:
Great article, but no word on the actual pace of this thing? Was it setting reasonable laps and did the concept show promise?
It was running towards the rear of the P2 field, having out qualified 8 of the P2's. They were battling issues with parts not specifically Deltawing related/designed so had limited setup work, but were starting to up the pace. They were on the pace that the ACO had set them but were obviously being very careful to keep out of the way of the other battles.

As for promise, as Nissan (who were driving the PR) have said all along, Deltawing was not the answer to any questions, it was the vehicle to pose more questions. Did it work from an economy point of view? I think so, yes. It was running lower P2 pace on a single set of tyres and with far less fuel so their aims seem to have been met or at least been in sight.

Slurms

1,252 posts

203 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
Looked great on track and was much missed for the rest of the 24hrs when it was punted off track by a Japanese driver well known for having the spacial awareness of damp lettuce.

This car must come back!

Can we have a LMP3 Deltawing class next year?

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
The answer to a question that was never likely to be asked.

If the ACO created a class for 500kg; 300bhp cars, and if RBR decided to become involved, I do not believe that Adrian Newey would spend more than a few seconds thinking about a deltawing as his chassis.

Super DRS and KERS would probably be the way to go, but then the car would cost way more the €500,000 that you are obliged to sell an LMP2 car for. Efficiency does not come without huge cost.

Woof says it all - a magnificent marketing exercise.

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
HowMuchLonger said:
I am sure it did compete though, unless they faked all the LeMans coverage.
It drove around a track at the same time as a race was on, but that was all. It was car number '0', in no class.

garypotter

1,483 posts

149 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
It was a brilliant marketing/pr exercise not just for Nissan but also for the LM 2012, even tho is was running as unclassified it bought the attention of the race to many other people who would probably ignore the LM2012.

Yes I hope it is back next year, sounds like it was fairly competetive even though it ran at the back of the LMp2 class,

Will they be using this car in the le mans series? or was a one off?