Topic: Nissan's new LMP1 race car makes 1,250hp...and is FWD!

[Northernridge]

I didn't look to closely at the new Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LMP1 racing car outed in the same Super Bowl commercial as the new Maxima but I caught this article today and assumed it was a typo. Nope, they'll be racing at Le Mans with a front engine, front wheel drive (huge front tires) hybrid making over 1,200 hp.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1096581_front-wheel-drive-nissan-gt-r-lm-nismo-lmp1-revealed-during-super-bowl-video

[HeliDriver]

I didn't look to closely at the new Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LMP1 racing car outed in the same Super Bowl commercial as the new Maxima but I caught this article today and assumed it was a typo. Nope, they'll be racing at Le Mans with a front engine, front wheel drive (huge front tires) hybrid making over 1,200 hp.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1096581_front-wheel-drive-nissan-gt-r-lm-nismo-lmp1-revealed-during-super-bowl-video

I wonder why. Maybe something in the rule book that lets you have a huge horsepower advantage if you go FWD?

And it's racing, so the only thing that matters is getting across the line first. If it's a torque-steering nightmare of a nose-heavy beast that nobody in his right mind would enjoy driving, well that's just too bad.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Somebody said (was speculating?) they wouldn't need as much aero downforce, so could reduce drag, which is a big deal on straights. It's a front-mid engine design, so the front drive wheels still have a fair amount of weight on them.

Sounded plausible. I dunno.

It still seems unclear if the electric motors send the power to the rear wheels or to the fronts, or both sets.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Somebody said (was speculating?) they wouldn't need as much aero downforce, so could reduce drag, which is a big deal on straights. It's a front-mid engine design, so the front drive wheels still have a fair amount of weight on them.

Sounded plausible. I dunno.

It still seems unclear if the electric motors send the power to the rear wheels or to the fronts, or both sets.

It's not a hybrid in the specific sense of the word.  It won't be an electric hybrid, but rather a flywheel.  I think their plan is to have a flywheel in the rear of the car that will collect energy from possibly all four wheels under braking, then apply it to the rear wheels for acceleration.  They haven't actually instituted that idea yet, but I believe that's the plan.

The reason for the front-drive was made from an aero standpoint.

Correction:  Sounds like it's a gas/electric hybrid right now, but I think the plan is to go with flywheel.

[Aliraza70]

First safety car was a for a BMW getting too close to skippy - poor bugger.?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

^ ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?