Nissan explains why GT-R LM Nismo is front-wheel drive

Sun, May 10 2015

History and conventional wisdom tell us that a racing car should be either rear-wheel drive or have its engine in the middle (or, preferably, both). Considering this, Nissan's decision to field a front-wheel-drive, front-engined race car at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans is at least a little bit strange.

Why, though? Why is Nissan ignoring literally decades of evidence to the contrary with the new GT-R LM Nismo? As the company's driver, Jann Mardenborough tells it, the layout plays to the all-consuming pursuit of optimum aerodynamic efficiency.

Check out Nissan's full explanation behind the front-drive GT-R and get a taste of the company's FWD racing pedigree, in the video attached up top.

By Brandon Turkus