Say Hello To Nissan's FWD Le Mans Racer

Nissan has laughed in the face of conventional thinking to create a truly unique LMP1 racer with its engine in the front, powering the front wheels

Darren Cassey

02 Feb 2015

Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive. That’s the best layout for a performance car, right? Well not according to Nissan, apparently. This is the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo, and not only does it have its engine out front, power runs through the front wheels.

Back in December, leaked information suggested that the engine would be mounted in front of the driver, but many people wrote the rumours off. We now know those rumours were accurate: the car has a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 nestled under its long bonnet. The LM Nismo also has a kinetic energy recovery system mounted to the front axle.

The reason for this setup? According to Ben Bowlby, technical director of the GT-R LM project, it’s to do with using the energy harvested by KERS as quickly as possible. By mounting the engine at the front, it is close to the energy recovery system and the powered wheels, meaning the energy can be put into the road faster

“The key is to store the energy and then release it very quickly and that’s what makes our system very competitive, providing us with a good amount of power from the ERS, which we can add to the internal combustion engine’s driving power.”

The recovered energy can also be used to power the rear wheels, should AWD be required. A Road & Track interview with Bowlby reveals the power is transferred through a long driveshaft beneath the car, and transferred to the rear wheels ‘through a complex system of secondary driveshafts and outboard gearboxes.’ The combined power? Between 1250-1500hp.

The weight bias and aero have been moved forward to maximise the front wheels’ grip, which resulted in a tyre rethink. While the front wheels are the same 14-inch wide Michelin rubber used by other LMP1 manufacturers, the rear wheels are just nine inches wide.

Nissan chose the World Endurance Championship due to the fact its regulations allow for more creative freedom and innovation. It’s a big gamble, but Bowlby’s previous work with the Deltawing racer proves that challenging conventional thinking can provide positive results - if you can avoid inattentive Porsches, that is. It’s a bold move, as the world is expecting failure. All eyes will be on Nissan when the WEC season begins at Silverstone on 12 April.