Nissan LMP1 Discussion

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by deltawing

Gustavo, I would like to make this very clear, so you do not take it the bad way. I saw your post as a statement and as a statement I found it ridiculous. I know you do not see it this way, because something entirely different was going on in your head (intention wise), but all I could see is a statement.

Imagine now I say something like: "Porsche is in deep trouble with their car and they are going to skip the 2014 season" ..... and I just leave it as is.... What happens next? ..... I probably would not make it out of here alive!

But if I put it slightly differently, like: "Hey, I have this bad feeling things are not going too well there and I will not be surprised if they either make some massive changes or they even skip a year" - now I will only get beaten little bit, but I will live to post few more times....

Does that make sense to you?

Yes, i understant you

Imagine that a court order leaves no running ZEOD RC by ownership rights. Have done with the Lotus / Kodewa last year (no payment I think), do you really think after that, that Nissan would proceed with a LMP1 program???

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by TF110

Winning Le Mans is a goal for the company.

Are you on the board of directors or something? Where is that insight coming from? A member posted here that a VP laughed at the idea of signing off P1 programme. Than SS talked to someone (I assume a 'racing person' from Nissan) adamant that P1 will happen. And then the non-committal announcement in the Autosport article came. I see nothing to suggest that an outright win is the company's goal here.As for the big picture, my guess is that the original DW got more attention in non-specialized media without finishing than Audi did by winning. Nissan are certainly doing very well here at a fraction of the cost.

What I see is a balancing act (or a game of poker if you like) by the ACO trying to attract a new manufacturer, while risking to be played.

As for the litigation, I really doubt Panoz has much of a chance against an automotive giant. In worst case scenario (for Nissan) they will have to reach a financial settlement.

[deltawing]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

..... Imagine that a court order leaves no running ZEOD RC by ownership rights. Have done with the Lotus / Kodewa last year (no payment I think), do you really think after that, that Nissan would proceed with a LMP1 program???

But you see, this is what I don't get - how did the ZEOD program morphed into LMP1 program now? Andy Palmer got interviewed, and none of that was in any way suggesting that they are trying to bring the ZEOD to compete as an LMP1 car in 2015 - yet somehow this whole thing now is becoming a common believe 9as far as I can tell from reading here).

Let's say you are right and the ZEOD, for one reason or another is prohibited from racing. I just don't understand how (8and why) this would eliminate an LMP1 program? to me it sounds little bit like: "If the ford Fiesta ST does not make it to the market in 2014, we are going to cancel our heavy duty trucks line!"

If I were them, this would actually motivate me even more to go racing in the highest class and win - it is a great way to stick it to everyone, with action, on the big boys battle field. And frankly, I think this is what could happen, but we just need to wait and see.

[Salamus]

There are many personalities within a company and all have differing opinions on the direction the company should go. Some like and pursue motorsports while others in the company think of it as a waste of funds, time, and energy. If Nissan is serious about a P1 programme then there is no reason to not believe that their ultimate goal is to win Le Mans (and the WEC Championship).Yes, programs nowadays can be considered advertisement tools but at the end of the day, the winner gets the most/all the attention.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Are you on the board of directors or something? Where is that insight coming from? A member posted here that a VP laughed at the idea of signing off P1 programme. Than SS talked to someone (I assume a 'racing person' from Nissan) adamant that P1 will happen. And then the non-committal announcement in the Autosport article came. I see nothing to suggest that an outright win is the company's goal here.As for the big picture, my guess is that the original DW got more attention in non-specialized media without finishing than Audi did by winning. Nissan are certainly doing very well here at a fraction of the cost.

What I see is a balancing act (or a game of poker if you like) by the ACO trying to attract a new manufacturer, while risking to be played.

As for the litigation, I really doubt Panoz has much of a chance against an automotive giant. In worst case scenario (for Nissan) they will have to reach a financial settlement.

Comedy aside, Nissan has stated numerous times they want to win Le Mans overall. Its all throughout the G56 thread that lead to the opening of this one. You dont have to work inside Nissan to know their intention.

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

And then the non-committal announcement in the Autosport article came.

By the way, that article is pretty much word for word what Cox said on RLM during the Dubai race. I wouldn't be surprised if Autosport didn't even talk to him but just listened to that broadcast.

[Bandicoot17]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

I wouldn't be surprised if Autosport didn't even talk to him but just listened to that broadcast.

Doesn't make it any less valid. He still said it.

[Maelochs]

he still said "Definitely maybe."

[TF110]

Better than "improbable, no"

[ArnageWRC]

I'll wait until the car is in the pitlane, for it's first free practice session.

Slightly fed up of these 'non committal' statements - they can talk the talk, can they walk the walk?

[Gingers4Justice]

Would it be possible to put a question mark in the thread title somewhere to note the uncertainty?

I make no apologies for starting a thread, I think this has gathered enough pace now to have its own place of discussion, but the title was perhaps a bit of a mistake and I hope the forum cynics can forgive me for that

[Adam43]

You gave them an opportunity to be cynical they should be grateful.

Thread title changed Added a question mark and the word considers. Double covered.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Adam43

You gave them an opportunity to be cynical they should be grateful.

Thread title changed Added a question mark and the word considers. Double covered.

But now we are doubting wether they consider it or not .

[Adam43]

Oh pants. There is nothing to do.

[Gingers4Justice]

Thanks Adam43!

The new title reflects the dilly-dallying perfectly in my book.

[Aysedasi]

So, 'Yes we'll do it' is OK?

Or 'No we don't do it' is also OK.

Anything less is just dilly-dallying........

Or do I really mean that? I could be just considering meaning that........

So is this the full argument or just the 5 minutes? I think I'll just take the being hit on the head lessons and be done with it........

[Adam43]

No it isn't.

[deltawing]

Isn't it interesting - 5 pages into a thread of a new LMP1 program and not a single question about the car? You would think this is sport cars enthusiast forums and somebody would dare to post something like "I wonder what this car is going to be like, what type of engine or HY system they will use, etc".... I just find it interesting how the speculations are about politics, finances, power games and so on, but no speculations about the technical aspect...

[Aysedasi]

In that case, lead on......... This isn't a quiz, you know........

[deltawing]

Here we gooooo!

So.... what is this car going to be? Are they going to use the proven LMP2 engine and squeeze more power from it?

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by deltawing

Here we gooooo!

So.... what is this car going to be? Are they going to use the proven LMP2 engine and squeeze more power from it?

Possibly, although the engine won't necessarily need to be that big. I can't see Nissan racing with anything less than the 8MJ. They're going to go for as much electricity as possible, because that seems to be what the company is putting its faith in.

That said, the P2 engine is clearly an incredibly successful one and developing other aspects of the car could be a better use of resources - especially if it's going to be as different as they keep telling us it's going to be.

I wonder what the part of it is that seems a bit grey on the rulebook. That must be drivetrain related, because it keeps coming up whenever the ZEOD is discussed.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by deltawing

Here we gooooo!

So.... what is this car going to be? Are they going to use the proven LMP2 engine and squeeze more power from it?

Not trying to keep the thread going around in circles - but you can't expect people to take the information provided thus far as a confirmation.

No problem to discuss the car, drivers, livery - anything you want - but people will always question it until it's there in writing from Nissan.

[deltawing]

What if we try to assume there is a car and there is an entry in 2015? We can fill up 5 pages with suspicions and there is no gain from that. So we can fill up 5 pages with positive assumptions, and while there is perhaps no gain from that either, it just feels nicer...... does this make sense?

[Aysedasi]

Works for me.

[blankfile]

Hey,

Long time reader, first time poster here.
How i see the Nissan blurryness on the rules is they want a car that fully runs on gasoline for a few laps and then one full lap of only electrical power. And i don't think it is specified in the regs that you can or can not do that. only up to 8MJ per lap of sarthe.

Seeing as they refer to the zeod so many times when mentioning the lmp1 i think this is the way it will be. Electric only for one lap every few laps.