Posted on: Mar 14, 2012 | 898 reads

Nissan Looks Ahead to the Future of Le Mans with their DeltaWing

Could this be the future of motorsport?

In preparation for the future of efficiency in motorsport, Nissan has decided to take a somewhat unconventional approach. Their engineers are currently developing a new racing car, called the DeltaWing, which will "act as a test bed for new road car technologies." And they're planning to race it at Le Mans. Although it won't be classified at the world's most exclusive endurance race, Nissan wants to showcase the DeltaWing's new technology to show the new direction they're taking.

Nissan Looks Ahead to the Future of Le Mans with their DeltaWing

More importantly, this racing technology will likely one day filter down to Nissan production road cars. Power comes courtesy of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that features direct petrol injection and a turbocharger.

All told, the engine, dubbed the DIG-T (Direct Injection Gasoline-Turbocharged), produces around 300hp and has the same technology found in the Nissan Juke DIG-T. Nissan also put together a solid team of innovators and other experts to make this project a reality. These people include British designer Ben Browlby, American motorsport entrepreneur Don Panoz, former F1 driver Dan Gurney, the two-time championship-winning Highcroft Racing Team, and Michelin Tires North America. Could this be the future of motorsport? If testing proves successful along with its 'Garage 56' experimental Le Mans entry, then anything is possible.