Technique: Nissan’s racer, with 1,250 hp and FWD
Posted on 17-05-2015 at 14:01 by MauritsH – 22 Comments”
Why would you be a racer build, with 1,250 horsepower, the engine in the front and also another model year? We lay it out.
Despite the fact that we for a while have to wait for the official statement, has now become well known that Nissan with their bizarre GT-R LM Nismo will compete in the 2 MJ-category during the upcoming 24 hours of Le Mans. The Japs want per round, so less energy recovery than the competition, but should be more fuel per hour consumption.
Da’s not the only big difference with the other factory teams, because, as indicated, used Nissan a layout which z’n say the least particular, may be mentioned. What is the usefulness?
Aerodynamics
The rules that cars must meet in order to participate in the LMP1 class at Le Mans, to ensure that almost all cars in the king’s class are very similar. Especially on the rear are the rules strictly. Nissan is trying to get around the front engine. This is more of downforce (downward force) on the front side is desired because the weight of the car in the front, but the regulations also allow the space to have a lot to experiment with them.
In addition to the above reason, the placement of the front engine is still an advantage. The rear of the car can now be better exploited through the diffuser downforce to generate. Behind the driver is low-tech (for front wheel drive and no differential, drive shaft, etc.), so the engineers have all the space to the air currents under and ‘by’ the car is as positive as possible to influence. In a lot of cars with the engine at the rear is missing, that space, that’s why you see for example in the LMP1-car, Porsche large openings on the side of the car. In the Nissan are the sides close completely. The air in the front of the car and is used to provide downforce to generate, only at the back.
Because the front wheels of the Nissan pieces are wider than the rear wheels and the rear wheels of the competition), can the diffuser between the rear wheels, it suits wider be made. A possible result thereof is that the flat floor in combination with the diffuser, more downforce can generate than the narrower ones on the other cars sit and so work more efficiently.
Kinetic Energy Recovery System
An important reason for the application of front wheel drive is the ICING system. During braking, energy is ‘collected’, which during acceleration can be used to the internal combustion engine to support it. So far, so good news, plenty of production cars are equipped with this system.
If we assume that the KERS system on the front brakes is connected, the front seats of the motor a significant advantage in the recovery of braking energy. The centre of gravity is further forward than on conventional racers with the engine at the rear. When the brakes are pressed there (relatively speaking) so more weight on the front axle and the brakes more heavily. Additionally, more energy is released, which in turn can be used to the massive front tires to drive.
Finally
The above findings are mainly based on a this video from Engineering Explained, Nissan itself has not yet the back of his tongue show about the reasons for a FWD racer. How bizarre experiment turns out, we know in June, as the 24 hours of Le Mans is held.
For the lover: in the past, we highlighted all of the Panoz Q9 in 1998 as the first hybrid car to Le Mans also participated. Also that car had, you guessed it, never, the front engine.
Gallery: Nissan GT-R LM Nismo 2015
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