Nissan has big plans for LMP1 this year. To that end, they’ve produced the GT-R LM NISMO: a front wheel drive, 1250 horsepower hybrid monster of a racing machine that is truly the pinnacle of Nissan motorsport engineering.

To go along with its Batmobile-esque bodykit, the GT-R LM utilizes a drivetrain design that’s equally as radical. It is equipped with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that is mounted longitudinally with the flywheel at the front, which sends its power to the front wheels. Additionally, two electric motors can also be configured to grab juice from an Energy Recovery System and distribute power to the rear wheels as well.

Ben Bowlby, the creator of the GT-R LM NISMO, had some unconventional ideas about aerodynamics as well. While typical prototype cars have been designed to guide air over the surfaces of the vehicle, the GT-R LM NISMO has been engineered to cut through it by way of tunnels that run the length of the car.

In the video above, we’re behind the wheel with Nissan factory driver Harry Tincknell during a night time shake down run of the GT-R LM NISMO, replete with fire-spitting downshifts from the two pairs of exhaust tips that exit the hood on each side of the cockpit.

The Nissan GT-R LM NISMO is expected to be a strong contender in the LMP1 class at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will be held on June 13-14. We’ll get our first glimpse of the GT-R LM NISMO in competition at the Six Hours of Silverstone in April.