When we heard about Nissan’s GT-R LM NISMO, even before seeing any photos of the real thing, we couldn’t help but ask the question: why is it front wheel-drive? NISMO TV recently released this video explaining why the GT-R LM NISMO is front wheel-drive, and we were all ears.

Ben Bowlby, LMP1 Team Principal and Technical Director explained that there have been efforts in the past to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a front wheel-drive car before, but there was no such success. With the GT-R LM NISMO, Bowlby and his team of engineers and drivers want to prove that it is possible, but not without a few drawbacks and complications along the way. We’re not engineers, but just from good ol’ research alone, we can tell you that developing an LMP1 car from scratch is no easy feat, nor will it provide instant gratification; it takes time, money, ingenuity, elbow grease, testing, and a lot of brain power.

• 
• 

“We think that putting the engine in the front, and driving the front wheels, will give us an advantage,” Bowlby explains in the video. What the team is trying to accomplish with the GT-R LM NISMO is aerodynamic efficiency, optimum traction during cornering, intense straight-line speed, and very strategic packaging of components. For example, look at the hood of the car; the hood is long and flat, which provides a maximum surface area for downforce. To prevail in the straights, the car also needs to be extremely streamline, which is why the body looks so toned-down compared to Porsche’s 919 or Audi’s R18.

Regardless of what the masses think of the GT-R LM NISMO, we love the idea and can’t wait to see how it fares at Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is only one month away.