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Watch the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo Gearing Up For Le Mans 2015

Nissan took their Le Mans prototype to the test track, where engineers and staff worked together through the setbacks of preparing the car for the big 24 hours race.
Nissan GT-R LM Nismo 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
The 'no pain, no gain' motto can be applied to a lot of areas, including motorsport. A huge amount of pre-race preparations is being carried out before a race, whether it's a WRC stage or a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The Le Mans 24 hours race, however, is special. The rough endurance character of the race leaves no room for mistakes, as drivers and cars go through hell in many of its shapes.

Meet the GT-R LM Nismo, the prototype Nissan conceived in the virtual world, literally starting from scratch, with no baseline. The racer is also unique among its rivals because Nissan granted it with a front-wheel drive setup. That's no easy task, not when the vehicle's 1,250 HP have to be properly managed by the front axle while steering is also to be dealt with.

But besides the challenges brought by track testing and the unusual configuration of the GT-R LM Nismo, Nissan had to do well in crash testing, as FIA regulations require this sort of examination.

Why, you might ask? Well, at some point, drivers will have to perform during night time, in low visibility and under increasing fatigue, which means the risk of a crash increases radically.

Furthermore, there's the rough competition. Audi, Porsche and Toyota are all on the cards for winning this year's Le Mans race so things will be tight in the top four places in the Le Mans rankings. But I guess that's the biggest appeal in such a competition: many things that can go wrong plus strong competitor battling their hearts out for the win.


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