Nissan’s unusual LMP1 car is supposed to be more grounded to the ground than any Toyota, including Gazoo Racing’s TS040. Here’s how it’s (supposed to) work.
Of course the GT-R LM Nismo has nothing to do with Nissan’s real “Godzilla”, the regular GT-R, apart from having a twin-turbo V6 up front. But even the engine is totally custom in the race car.
The 3 liter V6 twin-turbo is limited to 6,500 rpm and produces north of 500 horsepower, but is also aided by a mechanical hybrid system with a flywheel kept in vacuum rotating at 52,000 rpm. The combined output of the two is somewhere around a thousand ponies.
Do I believe that they still haven’t decided whether that will power the rear wheels or the front axle only? No, I don’t, but we shall see in two weeks anyway.
In front of the engine is a five-speed gearbox with straight-cut gears, plus the clutch and the ERS system with the 16 pound flywheel. The front is so packed in fact that the driver’s feet goes above the ERS, and all that makes the GT-R LM Nismo’s engine compartment look more terrifyingly complex than any old Jaguar’s.
Nissan claims those Michelin’s at the front will still last for 3 tanks of fuel despite having to deal with most of the weight, but the brakes will be right on the edge by the end of it.
The air tunnel that runs along the whole car is a truly unique aerodynamic feature, and even if somethings goes wrong for them during those 24 hours, Nissan deserves a lot of respect for having the balls to come up with a car like this.
Also, the Godzilla button is cool.
It’s a flamethrower, obviously.
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