The Le Mans General Discussion Thread

[freshseth83]

Nissan has no relation to the Deltathing. This is something unrelated. In other news, there appears to be more sportscar announcements coming soon as well https://twitter.com/specutainment/status/305361329487769601

 

[hawkeye122]

Nissan has no relation to the Deltathing. This is something unrelated. In other news, there appears to be more sportscar announcements coming soon as well https://twitter.com/specutainment/status/305361329487769601

I've recently started listening to Midweek Motorsport, and they seem to have the upper hand in information at any given time (Unless you subscribe to Daily Sportscar). The only downside is it comes only once a week.

Nissan and RLM keep outlining the fact that it's a "BIG" surprise from Nismo. Now i'm interested.

 

[Jav]

And Nissan/Nismo's big news is....... The Juke R goes into production!!!

 

[-Fred-]

20$ says it's about the GT-R entering GTE.

 

[cnd01]

Nissan LEAF BTCC

 

[Sam48]

20$ says it's about the GT-R entering GTE.

That or they're planning on building their own P1 car for WEC.

 

[vetteman24]

Hopefully P1 is in Nissan's future and they have a boatload of engines in P2 so P1 might be the next logical step. But if going to P1 is in the cards there will be no reason why more makes wont do the same thing. Just think Audi, Toyota, Porsche, and now potentially and hopefully Nissan the glory days of the late 80s-early 90s might be coming back

 

[gtone339]

Interesting to see Toyota abandon the extra wing solution thing. Probably worried about drag.

Maybe. Probably useful for 6 hour races though.

It could just be their Le Mans aero, as well.

Bingo!! 👍

 

[hawkeye122]

20$ says it's about the GT-R entering GTE.

That wouldn't meet the homologation standards, no four wheel drive.

Granted, the way BMW, SRT, and Porsche have bent the rules...

 

[-Fred-]

That wouldn't meet the homologation standards, no four wheel drive.

Granted, the way BMW, SRT, and Porsche have bent the rules...

The GT3 GT-R is rwd, as is the R8 for that matter. I don't see what the problem is.

 

[hawkeye122]

The GT3 GT-R is rwd, as is the R8 for that matter. I don't see what the problem is.

GT3 has different rules. You can change the drivetrain or engines in GT3, GTE doesn't allow such changes. And the GTE rules say no 4 wheel drive, and since the drivetrain can't be different from the actual car, it stands to reason that is why Nissan didn't take the GT-R to GTE in the first place.

Again, with BMW running what is effectively a GT3 car now, and Viper changing their engines, I'm sure IMSA would be ok with it.

The ACO on the other hand may decide to stick to their actual rules on that one.

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

Hopefully P1 is in Nissan's future and they have a boatload of engines in P2 so P1 might be the next logical step. But if going to P1 is in the cards there will be no reason why more makes wont do the same thing. Just think Audi, Toyota, Porsche, and now potentially and hopefully Nissan the glory days of the late 80s-early 90s might be coming back

This.

A 21st Century form of the Group C days and late 90's GT1 at LeMans and the WEC would be something to remember. I hope it is good news from Nissan making a LMP1 for LeMans and WEC. *crosses fingers*

Now we need is Jaguar, Mercedes and McLaren into the mix again, even Peugeot has to return one day.

 

[cnd01]

This.

A 21st Century form of the Group C days and late 90's GT1 at LeMans and the WEC would be something to remember. I hope it is good news from Nissan making a LMP1 for LeMans and WEC. *crosses fingers*

Now we need is Jaguar, Mercedes and McLaren into the mix again, even Peugeot has to return one day.

If all the manufacturers are jumping from LMP2 to LMP1, what does that mean for LMP2?

 

[TheBook]

If all the manufacturers are jumping from LMP2 to LMP1, what does that mean for LMP2?

It'll go back to being a mostly-privateer class like it was intended to be from the beginning, most likely.

 

[cnd01]

It'll go back to being a mostly-privateer class like it was intended to be from the beginning, most likely.

Which makes me speculate DP in Le Mans in 2014. Again just speculation.

 

[Mt. Lynx]

GT3 has different rules. You can change the drivetrain or engines in GT3, GTE doesn't allow such changes. And the GTE rules say no 4 wheel drive, and since the drivetrain can't be different from the actual car, it stands to reason that is why Nissan didn't take the GT-R to GTE in the first place.

Again, with BMW running what is effectively a GT3 car now, and Viper changing their engines, I'm sure IMSA would be ok with it.

The ACO on the other hand may decide to stick to their actual rules on that one.

They ran the Gallardo as a GTE...
The rules say:
Drive train
Are prohibited:
Four wheel drive;

But that´s it. They can change the wheel drive from AWD to RWD or FWD to RWD fore that matter. As long as the racecars are RWD.

 

[hawkeye122]

They ran the Gallardo as a GTE...
The rules say:
Drive train
Are prohibited:
Four wheel drive;

But that´s it. They can change the wheel drive from AWD to RWD or FWD to RWD fore that matter. As long as the racecars are RWD.

They ran it as a GT2. GTE has slightly different rules

 

[Mt. Lynx]

They ran it as a GT2. GTE has slightly different rules

Sure, but what I wrote came directly from the GTE rulebook. And that really is all it says about 4WD. Or indeed drive at all, wich technically means FWD is indeed allowed in GTE.

Read it yourself:
http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers...lations/2013-technical-regulations-lm-gte.pdf
To my knowledge, this is the latest iteration of the GTE rules. Notice how the engine rules has changed to accomodate the V8-powered Z4 GTE.

 

[hawkeye122]

Sure, but what I wrote came directly from the GTE rulebook. And that really is all it says about 4WD. Or indeed drive at all, wich technically means FWD is indeed allowed in GTE.

Read it yourself:
http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2013/24-heures-du-mans/regulations/2013-technical-regulations-lm-gte.pdf
To my knowledge, this is the latest iteration of the GTE rules. Notice how the engine rules has changed to accomodate the V8-powered Z4 GTE.

Fair enough, I hadn't looked at the regulations that recently.

 

[Mac K]

 

[Sam48]

Looks better in motion than it did in the pictures from Daytona.

 

[LancerEvo7]

Nissan will run an electric LMP1 under Garage 56 in 2014, then evaluate LMP1 from there.

Article

 

[SagarisGTB]

All of that hype, even getting the sportscar press to help hype it, and they announced a demonstration, a showcase, an exhibition. No racing, just marketing. What a joke. 👎

Nissan 👎

 

[gtone339]

Nissan will run an electric LMP1 under Garage 56 in 2014, then evaluate LMP1 from there.

Article

Wow nice!! Now we can potentially see a four way battle between Nissan, Toyota, Audi & Porsche!!

Nissan LMP1 project in 2014! 2 Japanese Manufacturers! Who's next? Mazda?

Here's more sources:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-nissan-announces-electric-lm24-racer-for-2014/

http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/nissan-pledges-a-return-to-the-le-mans-24-hours-in-2014_9934.html

During today's opening of the new global Nismo headquarters and development center near Yokohama in Japan, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn made the pledge to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2014 in Garage 56.

Further details will be released as the project progresses, but the company is focusing on innovation and excitement, continuing the pioneering spirit of the Nissan DeltaWing; the award-winning experimental entry at Le Mans last year. The ACO have invited Nissan to fill Garage 56 in 2014 in a program that will enable all parties to gather data and evaluate new powertrains ahead of a potential return to LMP1 in the future.

More conventional Nissan power will continue to be seen at Le Mans in the meantime. The 2013 Le Mans entry list displays 17 Nissan-Nismo-powered cars, the highest entry by a manufacturer for 15 years. The Nismo-tuned Nissan VK45DE V8 engine is now firmly established as the powerplant of choice for the majority of the LMP2 teams. All cars will carry the designation ‘powered by Nissan Nismo'.

 

[RACECAR]

All of that hype, even getting the sportscar press to help hype it, and they announced a demonstration, a showcase, an exhibition. No racing, just marketing. What a joke. 👎

Nissan 👎

I'm pretty sure Garage 56 does involve racing since it is the 24 Hours Of Le Mans.

 

[cnd01]

At least it's not the delta wing.

 

[Sam48]

Nissan will run an electric LMP1 under Garage 56 in 2014, then evaluate LMP1 from there.

Article

Called it (Previous Page)

 

[sumbrownkid]

Pretty ballsy move on Nissan's part to go all electric.

 

[freshseth83]

It's not ballsy. The garage 56 is outside the regulations. Like the DW last year and the Hydrogen car that'll run this year. They get a free ride basically without having to step up to the 'real' LMP1. So when or if it fails, they can just say it was a 'testing program'. Kinda weak IMO. But if it leads to a real LMP1 with some sort of combination electric powertrain and gasoline or another form of propulsion, that'd be great.

 

[SagarisGTB]

I'm pretty sure Garage 56 does involve racing since it is the 24 Hours Of Le Mans.

Unclassified racing. No specific rules, no immediate rivals, it's basically a 24 hour test session/marketing exercise during the June classic.

I don't have a problem with garage 56, it's a great way to show the viability of certain technologies and lets us see how they compare to what is currently racing in top level sportscars. What I do have a problem with, is that Nissan is a capable manufacturer and could be racing competitively in P1, P2 or GTE. Instead of taking on Audi, Toyota and Porsche, they are taking the easy way out and not competing (at least in the near future), instead building a car than can neither win nor lose. After the build up to the announcement, I can't help feel it's a giant letdown.