News>>the Deltawing Is Ready

To be honest, when I first saw the long, aerodynamic shape of the DeltaWing, I assumed it was built for the salt of Bonneville. That’s not the case though, as the now Nissan-supported DeltaWing is bound for Le Mans where it’s scheduled to run this year.

Developed by a team that includes, Don Panoz, Ben Bowlby, and even Dan Gurney’s legendary AAR – the DeltaWing is powered by a Nissan 1.6 liter turbocharged four cylinder that makes an estimated 300hp.

The car will be running at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, but because it doesn’t fit into any of the classes it won’t be placed in the overall results.

While the shape definitely takes some getting used to, it’s always cool to see aero experimentation in motorsport – as Jonathan covered in his recent retrospective.

We’ll be looking forward to seeing how it performs in June.

-Mike Garrett

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1

wow, points for nissian for trying something new!! this is like back in the 60 where you would see all kinds of crazy cars at le manns. Those tail lights look like they are off a boat trailer though. I would not want to get rearended at the track by that thing though!!

2

Seriously, did the first batman movie just get to japan??? cause that looks like the Batmobile

3

Nice joke

4

Where the Joysticks and rockets ?

The driver must feel like the real Batman.

5

Nissan didnt build this they just stuck there name on it and threw the company some money to do so.



This may be the fastest race car ever but it's ugly as sin

6

I saw the original DeltaWing at gannasi a few years ago and its definitely different. The oval car was narrower and the 2 front tires were maybe 5inches wide each and i just didn't see that car doing well. It looks like this car has a wider front track so that should help but its still a strange setup. It will be a sight to see going around with the other cars. There are alot of fast guys that put time and money into this project and they obviously see something i don't. I hope it does well.

7

I read in popular mechanics that this was supposed to be a possible candidate for a new Indy car platform, although that was unsuccessful.



I believe it also has 4" wide front tires/wheels.

I looks like the test model of the car is right hand drive from the pictures on the pop-mech site.

Here is the article if you care to read more about it.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/preview-concept/deltawing-could-it-change-the-face-of-motorsports-7308959?click=pm_news

8

I thought it was ok, but then the guy in the video talked about "guilt-free high-performance motoring", now I kind of hate it.

http://youtu.be/RLSFBbWrTwg



I wonder how many lateral Gs it can pull, compared to the other LeMans cars.

9

Another +1 for the batmobile...

Come on Nissan be a bit more original than that!!!

10

Lowest power of any LeMans car by far, odd design that will no way handle better than any of the real race cars, and it won't count in the results? Why is it even being ran then?!?

11

How does it turn?

12

I'd love to see that thing take a hairpin turn.

13

The first post of the day and it this is what you come out with. Lame

14

Looks like one of those crazy cars you get in Ridge Racer, RIIIDGE RAACER

15

you guys are looking at it all wrong. its actually the beginning of wipeout style anti-grav racing. embrace it!

16

Anybody see the SNL Ace & Gary cartoons? ....this car looks like their car...ridiculous, give it up already. Didn't get the IRL contract....boo hoo!!

17

. . . to the Batcave.

18

My minds eye see's this designs corner speed significantly reduced with the front track width being much much narrower than the rear. It will be very interesting to see how this concept performs.

19

Can't wait to see it in motion.

21

Wouldn't that thing understeer like a bus being so wide in the rear, and so narrow in the front? Just doesn't look like a good handling race car.

22

Looks like a smooth penis

23

The project has been standalone and developed without nissan up until early this year as the car obviously needed a power plant. It is an american car nothing to do with the japanese and is running out of the pit designated for something pushing the edge on environmental grounds at Le Mans!

24

I'm a huge nissan fan, but this is a total joke.

25

Nice to see something different, cant wait to see it in action at Le mans.



George, DeltaWing is american, its just powered/sponsored by Nissan.

26

This isn't news until someone posts video of it taking a high speed corner. Only then can we all see the brilliance, or foolishness, of the design.

27

Who cares about what class its in, I highly doubt it'll finish. How does this thing produce any downforce? how do you aproach a corner when the rear is wider?

28

looks like it coulde set a land speed record at Bonneville

29

more importantly, how does it turn?

30

doesn't fit into a class...so it's already won!

31

looks quite friendly in a subtly menacing way.. surprised it only has a small power-plant, but i understand why - Thanks

32

cool to see Nissan jump on... can't wait to see the results, as well as watch it go around the track!

33

@ alex



Nissan did not built the engine? If Nissan did not build it, who did? Is this similar to Infiniti putter their name on the RB F1 cars?

34

That is going to make really nasty scars on all the prototype cars it bangs into.

36

isn't this thing suppose to be like crazy fast??

37

wow thats gonna fail miserably...

38

Wow...something to look forward to this year's LMS...xP

39

@ eeeen



its engine is based on the Nissan MR, 1.6 Turbo, that is normally used in the Juke. Its the Nissan's turn on the World engine formula (that is used in current WRC and WTCC)

40

how did it takes corners?

41

This week in unintentional dong submissions...So much for dropping acid while watching, this is going to be awesome.

42

Am I the only one who foresees this thing T-boning another car and going through it like a bullet through paper... Plus it looks like it will handle like a brick.

43

Its kinda ugly, Im assuming it does turn, but its build like a dragster and how does it hit apexes?

44

If you did any research you would know Nissan have just put their name to a Ray Mallock Ltd powerplant, the same engine which has powered the Chevrolet Cruze WTCC touring car for the last few years.



Too many sites just pull press releases, come on Speedhunters, you know better than that....

45

whats with the stick on reflectors from a truck stop? Those are tail lights?

46

looks lyk something that should be breaking speed record ,saltlake,

47

It's destroying the endurance series ! IT'S NOT A CAR ANYMORE ! If it's a success, the other manufacturers will make the same kind of things and we will end up like in F1, just all the same vehicles which have nothing in common with a car, with restrictions to stop any kind of creativity.

48

Problem won´t be to make it turn, but with most of it´s weight bias in the rear, problem will be to make it stop turning. I respect it just for the people involved.

Other racers at LeMans should object to sharing a racetrack with a car not fighting for a finishing place, though.



Paper note on the steering wheel: "rear is wider than front"

49

20 years from now, NISSAN will have some major PR for them with this car

50

haha I just wanna see it turn... otherwise im not sure what to think

51

all bad, but i hope nissan learn something from this new car

52

all bad, but i hope nissan learn something from this new car

53

I am normally optimistic about new ideas but this is just odd and the simulations on their web site do not help what so ever.

I guess we I will have to wait and see how the real thing turns out.



One thing i'm not sure about is the lights on the back tires. I would think side mirrors would be required and the rearward headlight would blind the driver.

54

Anyone see any SR71 Blackbird similarities to this car? Looks like it's ready to do ridiculous speeds.

55

A total waste of Garage 56.

56

Needed to have a Japanese name on it so it can be a lunatic speed machine in Gran Turismo 6.

57

GReat. Now we just need Adam West to drive the motherfucker.

58

That's something special haha

What if it dominates? lol

59

Hey, they copied my car!!!!

60

Ground effect aero should keep it from understeering or oversteering, rear weight bias can be overcome with suspension engineering. If they are only going for fast lap times (this car IS NOT COMPETING, IT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL RACER) weight bias can be used to achieve quicker lap times, as seen in cars like the Sun Auto Cyber Evo.



People talk about the shape, being ugly and all. Function over form. Enough said.

61

How do you aim for an apex in this? -____-

62

I was wondering how this thing fared in it's outing now that the race has happened?? will there be a feature on it's results?!??!?!?!?!??!? it does seem strange and what not, but it also seemed to be very promising no matter how unconventional it looks.

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