If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,349
Likes: 17
From: Murfreesboro, TN
If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Revolutionary experimental racecar to be powered by Nissan engine technology
LONDON, United Kingdom (13 March 2012) – Nissan is aiming to change the face of endurance racing forever by becoming a founding partner in the most radical motorsport project of its time – Nissan DeltaWing.
A highly-advanced and hugely-efficient Nissan engine will power the remarkable DeltaWing car as it races in anger for the first time at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours (16-17 June).
With innovation at its core, Nissan was a natural partner to be invited into the DeltaWing family by the existing group of core partners – US-domiciled British designer Ben Bowlby, American motorsport entrepreneur Don Panoz, the All-American Racers organization of former US Formula 1 driver Dan Gurney, Duncan Dayton’s two-time championship-winning Highcroft Racing team and Michelin Tyres North America.
The engine, badged DIG-T (Direct Injection Gasoline – Turbocharged), is expected to produce around 300hp, sufficient to give Nissan DeltaWing lap times between LMP1 and LMP2 machines at Le Mans, despite having only half the power of those conventional prototypes. It features the same technology found in Nissan road cars, such as the range-topping Nissan Juke DIG-T.
“As motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time, racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development. Nissan DeltaWing aims to change that and we were an obvious choice to become part of the project,” said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
“But this is just the start of our involvement. Nissan DeltaWing embodies a vast number of highly-innovative ideas that we can learn from. At the same time, our engineering resources and commitment to fuel efficiency leadership via our PureDrive strategy will help develop DeltaWing into a testbed of innovation for Nissan”.
“This announcement gives Nissan the opportunity to become part of a ground-breaking motorsport project and one which could shape the future of the sport,” he added.
Nissan DeltaWing concept originator and designer, Briton Ben Bowlby, said: “Nissan has provided us with our first choice engine. It’s a spectacular piece. We’ve got the engine of our dreams: it’s the right weight, has the right power and it’s phenomenally efficient.”
Nissan DeltaWing is unlike any other racing car currently on track. The driver sits well back in the car, almost over the rear axle and looks ahead down a long, narrow fuselage to narrow twin front tyres, specially created for the car by tyre partner Michelin. With a rear-mounted engine, the car has a strong rearward weight bias, which makes it highly manoeuvrable, while its light weight and slippery shape make it far more efficient.
Its innovative design and forward-looking technology have encouraged the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the organisers of the famous Le Mans 24 Hours, to invite the car to run in this year’s race from ‘Garage 56’, the spot in the pitlane reserved for experimental cars. As it doesn’t conform to any existing championship regulations, Nissan DeltaWing will not be eligible to challenge for silverware and will carry the race number ‘0’.
Nissan’s expertise has been applied to the development of the engine, in order to make it light and efficient enough to prove the philosophy behind the concept can work in ‘real-world’ motor racing. The Company, always among the first to embrace such radical ideas and surprising new performance innovations, has promised to apply key learnings from the experience to inform strategies for its PureDrive aerodynamics and efficiency package for road cars, as well as its overall research & development programmes.
Dan Gurney's legendary All American Racers organization has built the DeltaWing. The new car continues the California organisation's incredible legacy as a race car constructor which has included 157 different cars built - earning major victories in Formula 1, sportscars and the Indianapolis 500.
Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe, said: “Nissan is a very innovative, forward-thinking company prepared to take a risk or two. And exactly the same applies to Nissan DeltaWing. Our involvement in the project shows the boldness of Nissan from an engineering and innovation mindset.”
The first two Nissan DeltaWing drivers to be confirmed are British Sportscar racer Marino Franchitti and Nissan’s reigning FIA GT1 World Champion Michael Krumm. The car will make its first public demo laps at Sebring, Florida, at 12.30pm local time on Thursday, March 15.
- Nissan leads efficiency charge as founding partner of project
- Innovative new racing car to run at Le Mans with Nissan technology
- Nissan DeltaWing will act as test bed for new road car technologies
- Drive for efficiency will see car use half the fuel of its conventional counterparts
- Other backers include racing legends Dan Gurney and Don Panoz
- Special invitation from Le Mans 24 Hours to occupy ‘Garage 56’
- Car to wear number ‘0’ and run outside race classification
LONDON, United Kingdom (13 March 2012) – Nissan is aiming to change the face of endurance racing forever by becoming a founding partner in the most radical motorsport project of its time – Nissan DeltaWing.
A highly-advanced and hugely-efficient Nissan engine will power the remarkable DeltaWing car as it races in anger for the first time at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours (16-17 June).
While Nissan DeltaWing will not be classified in the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Company is looking to showcase the pioneering technology that will show one potential direction for the future of motorsport and will feed into the research and development of future technologies, that filter down to Nissan’s road car product range.
A race-prepared 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, featuring direct petrol injection and a turbocharger, will power Nissan DeltaWing, which is half the weight and has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional racer.With innovation at its core, Nissan was a natural partner to be invited into the DeltaWing family by the existing group of core partners – US-domiciled British designer Ben Bowlby, American motorsport entrepreneur Don Panoz, the All-American Racers organization of former US Formula 1 driver Dan Gurney, Duncan Dayton’s two-time championship-winning Highcroft Racing team and Michelin Tyres North America.
The engine, badged DIG-T (Direct Injection Gasoline – Turbocharged), is expected to produce around 300hp, sufficient to give Nissan DeltaWing lap times between LMP1 and LMP2 machines at Le Mans, despite having only half the power of those conventional prototypes. It features the same technology found in Nissan road cars, such as the range-topping Nissan Juke DIG-T.
“As motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time, racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development. Nissan DeltaWing aims to change that and we were an obvious choice to become part of the project,” said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
“But this is just the start of our involvement. Nissan DeltaWing embodies a vast number of highly-innovative ideas that we can learn from. At the same time, our engineering resources and commitment to fuel efficiency leadership via our PureDrive strategy will help develop DeltaWing into a testbed of innovation for Nissan”.
“This announcement gives Nissan the opportunity to become part of a ground-breaking motorsport project and one which could shape the future of the sport,” he added.
Nissan DeltaWing concept originator and designer, Briton Ben Bowlby, said: “Nissan has provided us with our first choice engine. It’s a spectacular piece. We’ve got the engine of our dreams: it’s the right weight, has the right power and it’s phenomenally efficient.”
Nissan DeltaWing is unlike any other racing car currently on track. The driver sits well back in the car, almost over the rear axle and looks ahead down a long, narrow fuselage to narrow twin front tyres, specially created for the car by tyre partner Michelin. With a rear-mounted engine, the car has a strong rearward weight bias, which makes it highly manoeuvrable, while its light weight and slippery shape make it far more efficient.
Its innovative design and forward-looking technology have encouraged the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the organisers of the famous Le Mans 24 Hours, to invite the car to run in this year’s race from ‘Garage 56’, the spot in the pitlane reserved for experimental cars. As it doesn’t conform to any existing championship regulations, Nissan DeltaWing will not be eligible to challenge for silverware and will carry the race number ‘0’.
Nissan’s expertise has been applied to the development of the engine, in order to make it light and efficient enough to prove the philosophy behind the concept can work in ‘real-world’ motor racing. The Company, always among the first to embrace such radical ideas and surprising new performance innovations, has promised to apply key learnings from the experience to inform strategies for its PureDrive aerodynamics and efficiency package for road cars, as well as its overall research & development programmes.
Dan Gurney's legendary All American Racers organization has built the DeltaWing. The new car continues the California organisation's incredible legacy as a race car constructor which has included 157 different cars built - earning major victories in Formula 1, sportscars and the Indianapolis 500.
Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe, said: “Nissan is a very innovative, forward-thinking company prepared to take a risk or two. And exactly the same applies to Nissan DeltaWing. Our involvement in the project shows the boldness of Nissan from an engineering and innovation mindset.”
The first two Nissan DeltaWing drivers to be confirmed are British Sportscar racer Marino Franchitti and Nissan’s reigning FIA GT1 World Champion Michael Krumm. The car will make its first public demo laps at Sebring, Florida, at 12.30pm local time on Thursday, March 15.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,432
Likes: 647
From: Ontario
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,349
Likes: 17
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by ZAHANMA
Pics not working for me John.
Check the vid I posted on my Facebook, waaaaaaaaaaay better than pics
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,535
Likes: 3
From: Houston in my blood, and under my tires...
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by JHM2K
They work for me, must be a formatting issue.
Check the vid I posted on my Facebook, waaaaaaaaaaay better than pics
Check the vid I posted on my Facebook, waaaaaaaaaaay better than pics
When I checked the URL it sent me to a Nissan site...and asked me for a log-in...if you give me your log-in I promise I won't do anything stupid.
Checking video now.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,432
Likes: 647
From: Ontario
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by turbomar
Wow... Seems like their main objective was to design a car that will require fewer pit stops
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,349
Likes: 17
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by ZAHANMA
When I checked the URL it sent me to a Nissan site...and asked me for a log-in...if you give me your log-in I promise I won't do anything stupid.
Checking video now.
Checking video now.
Oh well, here is the vid for all that missed out
Nissan DeltaWing launch - 13th March 2012 - Innovation that Excites - YouTube
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,432
Likes: 647
From: Ontario
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by JHM2K
Yeah, it's blocked. Boogers...
Oh well, here is the vid for all that missed out
Nissan DeltaWing launch - 13th March 2012 - Innovation that Excites - YouTube
Oh well, here is the vid for all that missed out
Nissan DeltaWing launch - 13th March 2012 - Innovation that Excites - YouTube
Nissan DeltaWing In-Car Video - YouTube
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 360
Likes: 1
From: Atlanta
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
It is a pretty wild car... We (BBS) built the wheels for it!
The front wheel is forged magnesium and is only 4" wide.
The front wheel is forged magnesium and is only 4" wide.
Last edited by MetalMilitiaSRT; Mar 14, 2012 at 05:13 PM.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,349
Likes: 17
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by MetalMilitiaSRT
It is a pretty wild car... We built the wheels for it!
The front wheel is forged magnesium and is only 4" wide.
The front wheel is forged magnesium and is only 4" wide.
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 360
Likes: 1
From: Atlanta
Re: If the SR-71 Blackbird was a car...
Originally Posted by Thirteendog
Your pictures suck man
I can't figure out how to get the picture to display... I tried what I saw in the "how to" sticky, it didn't work!
Last edited by MetalMilitiaSRT; Mar 14, 2012 at 10:14 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)