The history and highlights of Nissan at Le Mans

Nissan GT-R LM NISMO Newsroom

From its debut in 1986, Nissan has dreamed of success at the Le Mans 24 Hours, a race and a goal that the entire company has targeted with multiple programs over the years. We have been on the pole and stood on the podium, but victory in the world's greatest endurance race remains an ambition that the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO now targets. Take a look back through the highlights of Nissan's Le Mans involvement.

1986 / Nissan R85V

• Length / Width / Height: 4,794 / 1,994 / 1,069mm
• Vehicle Weight: 880kg
• Maximum Engine Output: Over 680ps/8,000rpm

In 1986, Nissan participated for the first time at the Le Mans 24-hour race, the world's premiere endurance event. For its first Le Mans challenge, Nissan entered two cars: an "R86V" 1986 model March 86G with a 3-liter V6 twin-turbo VG30 engine, and an R85V 1985 model March with an 85G engine. The R85V had been raced domestically in Japan since 1985, giving it a more solid base of results compared to the new model R86V. The drivers were Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Keiji Matsumoto and Aguri Suzuki in the R86V, and Masahiro Hasemi, Takao Wada and James Weaver in the R85V.

The R85V battled hard, at one point rising to 9th position overall, and after overcoming a series of misfortunes managed to complete 284 laps/3,850.5km to finish the race in overall 16th position. The overall winner was a Porsche 962C with 367 laps. Although a 16th place finish in its historic inaugural outing was a solid performance, the glaring gap to the top ranked car proved there was still a huge difference in power that needed to be addressed.

1990 / Nissan R90CP/CK

• Length / Width / Height: 4,800 / 1,990 / 1,100mm
• Vehicle Weight: 900kg
• Maximum Engine Output: Over 800ps/7,600rpm

For the 1990 Group C races, Nissan made efforts to improve the reliability of the R89C, which had proven its speed during the previous season. Improvements included a modified chassis, installation of the VRH35 model VRH35Z engine and a cowling designed by Nissan Performance Technology (NPTI) that was built in-house at Nissan. Due to this the new model R90CP, despite being based on the previous year's model, had 70 percent of its parts manufactured by Nissan and NISMO. Another feature of the cars was the use of carbon-disco brakes manufactured by Brembo S.p.a. Two R90CP cars were entered in the 1990 JSPC endurance race series – one under the Calsonic-Nissan Team driven by Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki under the YHP-Nissan Team driven by Masahiro Hasemi and Andres Olofsson.

Five R90CP cars (plus a pair of C89s) took on the challenge of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1990, with one R90CP entry from NISMO, two European R90CK entries, and two American R90CP vehicles.

In qualifying for Le Mans, a Japan-built car took pole position for the first time ever – Mark Blundell putting in an astonishing lap aboard one of the European CK entries on the circuit featuring, for the first time, the two chicanes on the infamous Mulsanne Straight, despite that the pole position car posted a course record top speed of 366 km/h

Hopes were high for a first win by a Japanese car, but an unfortunate series of problems saw four of the R90CPs retired during the race, the only one to finish being the machine driven by Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki, which finished in 5th place overall, at the time the highest ever result for a Japanese car and Japanese drivers.

1995 / NISMO GT-R LM

• Length / Width / Height: 4,675 / 1,880 / 1,300mm
• Vehicle Weight: 1370kg #22, 1285 kg #23
• Maximum Engine Output: Over 600ps/-rpm

In 1995, NISMO entered two Skyline GT-R (R33)-based machines, known as NISMO GT-R LM, in the LM GT1 class of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The No. 23 car combined a Group A-spec engine with a sequential gearbox, while the No. 22 machine combined an N1 Endurance-spec engine with an H-pattern transmission that led to different air restrictors for each car – and different racing weights, too.

The No. 22 car was painted in a tricolor, with a volunteer group as its main sponsor.

The sponsor's name, "Keep the Dream Alive," appeared in large letters on the hood, roof and doors; it was truly a machine run with the cooperation of Nissan and the fans. Sixteen of the race's 24 hours were run in the rain, and only 20 of the 48 starters were able to reach the finish.

The No. 23 GT-R LM retired during the race due to driveline trouble, but the No. 22 car, which had started 35th, completed the race in 10th place overall (5th in the GT1 class) despite it being their first time entered in the race.

The team returned with a pair of cars the following year, but success again eluded them. One car retired after an accident; the other made it home in 15th overall.

1997-98 / Nissan R390 GT1

• Length / Width / Height: 4,675 / 1,880 / 1,300mm (1997 car)
• Vehicle Weight: c.1100kg
• Maximum Engine Output: Over 600ps/-rpm

Changing from the NISMO GT-R LM that had raced the 1995 and 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours events, Nissan responded to rapid developments in the GT1 class by investing in the R390 GT1, aiming for overall victory in the 1997 race. The R390 was developed in cooperation with Tom Walkinshaw Racing. It was a combination of a carbon monocoque chassis with a carbon composite body fitted with a 3.5-liter twin turbo V8 VRH35L engine, an evolution of the engine used in the Nissan R89C.

The R390 GT1 showed amazing speed in pre-qualifying, and ace driver Martin Brundle knocked out the top time. However, because of a misunderstanding about regulations, TWR were forced to modify the trunk section, and due to this, difficulties arose in cooling the gearbox.

Two cars were able to grab the 4th and 12th positions in qualifying and a good performance in the race was anticipated, but trouble cooling the gearboxes forced two of the three cars entered to retire. The sole remaining team of Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Erik Comas, and Masahiko Kageyama also suffered transmission issues but finished the race in 12th place, leaving some hope for the following year.

The 1998 version of the car saw the troublesome rear end dealt with and a 13 cm longer car came back for another shot with a trio of full spec factory cars and a single 1997 spec car (with the new 1998 bodywork).  All four cars would finish in the top 10, with the #32 car making it onto the third step of the podium.

2011 to today / Nissan VK45DE

• LM P2 engine
• Maximum Engine Output: 450 bhp

A new LMP2 formula saw the junior prototype class adopt production-based engines. The Nissan VK45DE 4.5-liter V8 engine proved a very popular choice, and right from the start Nissan power dominated with Nissan-powered machines finishing in first and second place at the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours.  Olivier Lombard took the checkered flag as LMP2 winner in the Zytek Nissan of Greaves Motorsport, and in second place was the Oreca 03 Nissan of the Signatech Nissan team of Lucas Ordóñez, Franck Mailleux and Soheil Ayari.

The drama-filled 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours is remembered as the race that beat some of the best with many top drivers and manufacturers failing to finish. It will also be remembered as the race where Nissan's Ordóñez went from winning the infamous GT Academy competition just three years earlier to taking a podium position at the toughest race in the world.

The Nissan V8 won again in 2013, this time powering the Morgan chassis of Oak Racing that went on to take the LMP2 World Championship, and in the first three years of the new formula it has powered seven out of the available nine podium finishers.

The victory again went to Nissan in 2014, with Jota Sport taking the victory and future Nissan LM P1 driver Harry Tincknell as part of the driving squad.

2014 / Nissan ZEOD RC

The ZEOD RC, which stands for "Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car," was awarded the prestigious "Garage 56" entry at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans for vehicles that showcase new and innovative technology. The revolutionary machine became the first car to complete an entire 13.6-kilometer (8.5-mile) lap of Le Mans on nothing but electrical power. The driver line-up for Nissan's revolutionary ZEOD RC prototype featured two past winners of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy program, with Belgian driver Wolfgang Reip signed to join Lucas Ordóñez.

For each tank of fuel used at Le Mans, the ZEOD RC planed to complete an additional lap on pure electric power. While operating under gas power, the car's battery was recharged by regenerative braking – recycling the heat generated by the carbon brakes to produce electricity. This development project was used by Nissan as part of its assault on the LM P1 class of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2015.

After completing its targets of completing an all-electric lap of Le Mans and topping 300km/h on the Mulsanne Straight on electric power only, the car sadly was eliminated early in the race by a gearbox issue.

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