Nissan LMP1 Discussion

[J Jay]

Hang on a minute, it may not have been solely Nissan's decision - Andy might have decided that he didn't want/need to be associated with the worst factory sportscar effort in years

Nissan are still listed as a sponsor on his homepage's footer so it may be more of a scaling back rather than a complete pull-out. Hopefully Andy finds adequate cover from other sources.

On the subject of RLM, I don't see Nissan pulling their backing here because of the other events that are covered which they support or have efforts in.

[Adam43]

It's a good thing that Nissan supported the spotters guide and the radio we all like, right?
Hopefully replaced soon.

[Artur]

Look what was recently found next to the trash, on the corners of a warehouse :

[TzeiTzei]

Right where it belongs. I'm expecting Ben Bowlby to be somewhere in that picture.

[TRuss]

I laughed pretty hard at that.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

Right where it belongs. I'm expecting Ben Bowlby to be somewhere in that picture.

That's just being nasty. Putting a person in the trash because their car didn't work out. The design yes, the car maybe, the person no.

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by Adam43

That's just being nasty. Putting a person in the trash because their car didn't work out. The design yes, the car maybe, the person no.

Maybe. I blame it on reading the brabham thread first. Got me into mood.

[Deleted]

If only the cockpit was bigger, you could store the garbage inside the car instead of around it. Makes for more presentable and hygienic street/yard.

[BSchneiderFan]

Are we assuming that Nissan's LMP1 ambitions are dead now, rather than on hold? No chance at all of them returning in 2017?

[Deleted]

Zero.

[LC2guy]

Originally Posted by Artur

Look what was recently found next to the trash, on the corners of a warehouse :

Is that Big White thing with the M on it the unused KERS unit ?

[Deleted]

No it's probably Bowlby's original car, The Rectangle GT-R, before it got sidelined for this thing when they realized it didn't actually move. Now both are waiting for their final journey, to the junkyard.

[BSchneiderFan]

It's all a rather sorry tale.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Zero.

Might as well close the thread then.

[Ivor Parker]

....so I just want to catch this thread before it goes the way of the car itself. I hope I’m forgiven for another volcano impression – grumbling to myself for 6 months then spewing out far too much material.

Was upset to see the timing & manner of the close-down, shabby & sad. Plus a good and healthy grid can quickly become thin & non-functional. VAP (VW-Audi- Porsche) have plenty of expensive challenges, on both profits and PR, so corp-think can quickly change, given many marketing dep’ts have the attention span of an ant.

That said, it was the correct decision; it would never have competed properly. I thought that, I think that and quite a number of bright guys have had a close hard look, since LM, and come to the same conclusion.

Aero: clearly low drag as very fast in a straight line, despite the slow apex speeds, as measured and seeing GTs chewing their butt. But was it also low down-force? No great evidence that it could grip that well at any speed. Those ducts will reduce the base area drag (suction on the tail) but do nothing for down-force as suction on duct roof = suction on duct floor, aka the bi-plane effect. Whole idea with ground effect is suction between car and GROUND means compression forces thru tyre pads. Only way ducts deliver down-force is if they are J shaped with top surface exits. Then momentum loss on X axis (drag) gives momentum gain, or upwash, on Z axis (so down-force). OK, with its much cleaner after-body they could get better L/D ratio, but no great evidence of that?

Hybrid: A pain in the rear end, but not the real problem. ACO had the target of 0.5sec/ lap/MJ. Ben B reckoned you could never tell when the 2MJ Audi system was on or off, as only 1 to 2 secs effect. Base non-hybrid car needed to be Rebellion fast to give it a chance to get close to the hybrids. From the Audi data, there is 19MJ into the brakes, one can calc aero losses at 22MJ, rolling & scrub tyre losses at 8MJ etc. This all fits with approx 140MJ of fuel so perhaps delivering close to 50MJ for motion. Also fits with the ZEOD having 40 to 50MJ of battery capacity to do 1 lap. 8MJ was not going to transform this layout.

Plan B: What they should have done is do a proper GT-R funny car, with the same, great Cosworth V6 turbo upfront, RWD, e-FWD, 4 big tyres and move all that junk from the front end. As it was, it would have changed direction like a cautious Canadian coming home from a hunting trip with a moose lashed across the front. Put all that junk in the trunk and it would be more like a cockroach in full escape mode. OK not quite so clean on aero, but way faster overall. One tiny drawback: a new tub, new suspensions, new hybrid, new tranny, new body......but a marketing dream for road car sales.

Trash: please don’t leave it out with the garbage, look at taking it to the Bonneville salt flats. Being front heavy, it will run straight, won’t blow over and hopefully get a FWD class record. OK, not an outright record as even FWD battery EVs are over 300mph, but it might rescue some of that PR spend perhaps?

[kvenom]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Are we assuming that Nissan's LMP1 ambitions are dead now, rather than on hold? No chance at all of them returning in 2017?

They've laid off pretty much all of their staff so I'd assume so.

[kvenom]

Take it to Pikes Peak HPD style!

[Ephaeton]

Originally Posted by kvenom

Take it to Pikes Peak HPD style!

"announce & fail to deliver" ? Is that really "HPD" style?

[kvenom]

Originally Posted by Ephaeton

"announce & fail to deliver" ? Is that really "HPD" style?

Its the most likely thing to happen

[Starfish Primer]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

Is that Big White thing with the M on it the unused KERS unit ?

Best comment ever

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

Is that Big White thing with the M on it the unused KERS unit ?

I'm not sure, although it does corner better.

[TF110]

This is the website of the big white thing. They're a building machinery rental company.

[YorkshireLad]

Am I the only one who finds this image a tad upsetting?(not in a crying sense lol) as a lover of cars I'd hate to see it destroyed.

Bit of fettling in the workshop, result, have it as a daily drive to work any day!

As for at LM, it might of performed better with that container strapped to the roof, rather than the flybrid ******s.

[TF110]

The car in the picture might be one of the fake mockups they had for auto shows and stuff. I don't think they'd just trash a working car.

[old man]

The picture looks like the parc ferme area at Le Mans to me, taken from the steps up to the paddock exit?