Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2012, covering the announcement of the radical Nissan DeltaWing project ahead of its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Japanese car maker Nissan is to become a founding partner in the DeltaWing Le Mans project, supplying the experimental vehicle with its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
Power and Efficiency
Its engine will provide around 300 horsepower, which is expected to give the DeltaWing vehicle lap times between the LMP1 and LMP2 machines, even though it will only have half the power of those conventional racing vehicles.
The car was unveiled by DeltaWing designer Ben Bowlby and the Nissan Head of Brand Strategy in Europe. According to Ben Bowlby, who is the concept originator and the designer of the DeltaWing Concept, the vehicle will be competing at the same speed as cars with premium status, but will be doing so on just half the fuel.
This remarkable performance has been achieved in part thanks to halving the weight of the vehicle and drastically reducing its aerodynamic drag. The company hopes it will act as a showcase for technology that could potentially influence the future of motorsport.
A Radical Design
The driver seat is set far back, almost over the rear axle, while looking down a long, narrow fuselage to narrow twin front tyres that have been specially created by Michelin. It has a strong rearward weight bias, making it easy to manoeuvre, and it is both lightweight and has a highly aerodynamic shape, which makes it incredibly efficient.
“While the whole car is the innovation, the gearbox internals are somewhat different and may provide a little challenge,” Bowlby said. “Most other components, brakes, bearings, driveshaft, the chassis construction technique are relatively straight forward. Michelin was our first family technical partner and we have extraordinary confidence in the tyres.”
The Batmobile Comparison
The driver will sit nearly at the back, being extremely close to the rear wheels, and there is also the presence of a singular vertical wing that adds a menacing look to the DeltaWing’s profile. It is there to improve aerodynamic efficiency and high speed stability.
After all, it will naturally be compared to the Batmobile by most folks, considering how it has long and narrow proportions that make it look more like a futuristic top-fuel dragster that is meant to win quarter mile races instead of tackling corners at high speeds.
Nissan hopes that the DeltaWing project will be highly competitive while remaining green. It features a Nissan 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with direct petrol injection and a turbocharger, alongside many design considerations thrown into the mix to ensure it is as light as possible.
