Front-engined Nissan GT-R LM Nismo revealed and all new F1 cars ...
Following wild speculation during the last couple of months, Nissan revealed their GT-R LM Nismo in an ad during last night's Super Bowl. As it turns out, some of the wildest rumours are true; the new LMP1 racer features a front-mounted engine that drives only the front wheels. As they are not driven, the rear wheels/tyres are actually narrower than the ones up front. This has all sorts of aerodynamic advantages that might compensate for the lack of the all-wheel drive system used on the rivals. Nissan also announced that Spain's only Le Mans winner Marc Gene will be one of its drivers this year in its FIA World Endurance Championship campaign. You can see every angle of the highly unusual sports prototype racer in this 19-shot gallery. We have also added a pair of videos and will keep a close eye on this fascinating machine.
To put the new Nissan in perspective, we have also taken a look back at the Panoz Esperante GTR-1. Originally built for Panoz by Reynard in 1997, this was the first front-engined sports prototype to run at Le Mans for many years. Originally conceived as a GT1 car, it made a comeback several years later as a LM GTP machine. The featured example is the car that was campaigned as late as 2004. The very last front-engined car to win Le Mans, by the way, was the unique Ferrari 330 TRI LM, back in 1962!
Yesterday, Formula 1 has also shot back into action with the first official test of the season. Of the seven cars that took the track, the Ferrari SF15-T piloted by Sebastian Vettel was the fastest of all. With 157 laps, the new Mercedes-Benz W06 Hybrid was the most reliable and consistent of all cars. Certainly one of the most talked about was the Red Bull Racing RB11 Renault, which sported a very clever and particular striking camouflage livery to hide intricate details from the rivalling teams.
Enjoy the links:
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/5912/Nissan-GT-R-LM-Nismo.html"]2015 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/406/Panoz-Esperante-GTR-1.html"]1997 Panoz Esperante GTR-1 - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6096/Ferrari-SF15-T.html"]2015 Ferrari SF15-T - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6095/Mercedes-Benz-W06-Hybrid.html"]2015 Mercedes-Benz W06 Hybrid - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6100/Red-Bull-Racing-RB11-Renault.html"]2015 Red Bull Racing RB11 Renault - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6099/Toro-Rosso-STR10-Renault.html"]2015 Toro Rosso STR10 Renault - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/595/Ferrari-330-TRI-LM.html"]1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]
