Audi vs Toyota vs Porsche. And now with Nissan coming up with an LMP1 machine of their own, the fight to win this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is not going to be a walk in the park. But the emergence of Nissan making a comeback at Le Mans is not the only highlight as it is reported that the engine powering their LMP1 machine might also find its way powering the next road-going GTR.
The GT-R LM Nismo is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit and produces a massive 1,250-horsepower in race form. Rumours suggest that if the engine ends up powering the upcoming R36, the road-going version of this engine might be producing an output somewhere around 600-horsepower.
“The 3.0-liter V6 is sort of god-child of the true, road-going GT-R. It’s a direct injection engine, and the combustion technology, and integration of turbo and intake system within the head design, is all very interesting and highly applicable to the road,” said Ben Bowlby, the GT-R LM Nismo technical director.
“If it was a crazy engine – super light with a short life – the reality is that it wouldn’t be applicable. But it revs to the same as the road-going car – 6,500rpm – and is truly an early ancestor of what will be a future Nissan GT-R engine,” Bowlby added.
