NISSAN REVEALS EXPANDING GLOBAL MOTORSPORTS PROGRAM FOR 2013, LED BY NISMO

February 26, 2013 by Nissan

•Nissan promises an exciting and expanded future motorsports program, led globally by NISMO

•Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn pledges a return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2014 with a pioneering Nissan race car incorporating electric vehicle technology

•Expansion is key to success as Nissan makes long-awaited return to Australia's V8 Supercars Championship with a four-car entry

•NISMO steps up GT-R assault on GT3 and SUPER GT Series, highlighted by the flagship GT-R GT500

•Nissan GT Academy continues to grow, with the latest graduates to compete in a GT-R in FIA GT Series and Blancpain Endurance Series

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan today confirmed its extensive global motorsports program will continue to expand through 2013 and beyond and be led by NISMO, the company's dedicated performance road car and motorsports arm.

Nissan's Carlos Ghosn also confirmed that the company will return to the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours in 2014 as the Garage 56 entry for innovative concepts with an all-new race car incorporating electric vehicle technology. The entry will test innovative new powertrain technology and provide the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) with data to enable all parties to evaluate the incorporation of this breakthrough technology ahead of a potential return to LMP1 in the future.

'We will return to Le Mans with a vehicle that will act as a high-speed test bed in the harshest of environments for both our road car and race car electric vehicle technology,' said Mr. Ghosn.

Even before this innovative and dramatic new race car breaks cover, NISMO will be hard at work supporting expanded Nissan motorsports campaigns around the globe, in an extensive effort that includes:

•A continuation of our long term focus on endurance racing led by the NISMO-engineered flagship Nissan GT-R NISMO GT-3 in the FIA GT Series and the Blancpain Endurance Series

•NISMO engines used in 17 cars at the 2013 Le Mans 24 hours. The equivalent of a third of the Le Mans starting grid

•A return to top-level Australian motorsports with a four-car entry of Nissan Altimas in the V8 Supercars Championship

•Further expansion of the GT Academy program, already a global success with competitions in Europe, Russia, the USA, South Africa and the Middle East

Return to Le Mans

During today's opening of the new global NISMO headquarters and development center near Yokohama in Japan, Mr. 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 endurance racing in the future.

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

Nissan GT-R Assault

One of Nissan's major motorsports programs is focused on NISMO-developed versions of the flagship Nissan GT-R sports car for both works and privateer customer teams.

During 2012, the GT-R won numerous races around the world – in Japan's SUPER GT Series (GT300 class and GT500 class) and Super Taikyu (GT3 class) and took its first victories in the British GT Championship and GT Cup.

For 2013 the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 has been further developed after last year's successes, and the flagship NISMO-engineered GT-R GT500 version will once again compete in the SUPER GT Series.

SUPER GT Series GT500 class

Four GT500 GT-Rs using 3.4-liter V8 engines will represent the ultimate expression of NISMO and GT-R.

The 2013 GT500 GT-R has received the following modifications:

1) Aerodynamics: The rear end of the vehicle was extensively updated halfway through last season, and it proved to be a dynamic breakthrough for the GT-R. Specifically, we were able to maintain extreme levels of downforce while drastically cutting down drag via the distinctive 'shark teeth' rear design and by modifying the underbody. The drivers have highly praised the effects of these changes during testing.

2) Engine: The 3.4L V-8 VRH34B engine will be used for the third straight season. NISMO engineers will not only try to keep maximizing the engine's output, but also strive to maximize its flexibility by modifying response and torque characteristics to match the layouts of different racetracks. Fuel efficiency will also be addressed by decreasing friction within the moving components of the drivetrain.

Photo credit: Nissan
posted on conceptcarz.com