Nissan is competing this year in the 24 hours of Le Mans race, after a 16-year absence from the LMP1 class.
That may explain why the Japanese manufacturer deliberately chose to build a front wheel drive car to compete with.
I don’t want to be rude, but Nissan clearly has a thing for quirky experimental vehicles. That, or they don’t understand motorsport anymore. For example the last car they entered in the gruesome 24 hour race was the Deltawing. To be fair, where else can you test new technology if not in a real life situation on the track?
Seriously though – no more smart remarks, I promise – the GT-R LM is a proper piece of kit and will go up against Audi, Toyota and Porsche’s finest. The front mounted 3.0-litre V6 engine produces a staggering amount of power, but nowhere near 1250 BHP on its own. It actually develops around 550 while the rest falls on the kinetic energy recovery system and the rear wheels. That means the car can either be FWD or AWD.
Nissan states that a front-wheel-drive layout will create a long hood that will provide an aerodynamic downforce advantage. That in turn, will provide a traction advantage.
Anyway, better leave the explanations to the professionals in the video below.