Nissan backed DeltaWing experiment car to race in Le Mans

At first glance we presumed this to be Batman’s new ride from the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises film only realising it’s a DeltaWing concept by Nissan. Well it does look like Michael Keaton’s Batmobile doesn’t it?

We're sure all of us are familiar with the design of a Le Mans car; Audi advertises it almost every Saturday on the local tabloids. This year’s 24hrs of Le Mans endurance race, one of the most prestigious and physically demanding will be held in France from June 16 till 17.

Nissan would be bringing this. An experimental DeltaWing race car backed by Nissan that looks like the love child of Le Mans and purpose built Land Speed Record cars that usually hold rockets for engines. Though not participating in the actual race, it would wear a number zero tag and no lap times would be recorded.

Designed by Dallara of Italy, it was initially a replacement open-wheel racer proposal for the IZOD IndyCar series.

Compared to the Audi R18 e-tron Quattro that has a V6 diesel with 510hp, the Nissan DeltaWing, produces 300hp from its 1.6-litre DIG-T badged four cylinder engine.

In theory this simple math of 510hp vs. 300hp output is a no brainer. Nissan however claims otherwise as the engine weighs half as much as it would in a normal Le Mans car and the DeltaWing’s aerodynamically slick shape which looks similar to the supersonic Concorde aircraft is capable of producing lap times that might top the charts.  

Andy Palmer of Nissan claims the DeltaWing’s main aim is to change the largely monotonous designs and similar technological innovations present in current motorsports of various degree partly due to rules that are becoming more strict over time. Also the technology used in motorsports does not carry over much to normal road car counterparts.

Besides Nissan, other partners in this project include the designer Ben Bowlby, Michelin Tyres North America and a number of American motorsport organisations.

British sportscar racer Marino Franchitti and Nissan’s reigning FIA GT1 World Champion Michael Krum are lucky to be the DeltaWing's maiden Le Mans adventure race drivers.