Nissan has issued a statement announcing it is shutting down its GT-R LM Nismo racing programme and withdrawing from the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The news comes on the back of a troubled development process for the GT-R LM Nismo, the front-engined race car never having reached the performance levels of its rivals in WEC.
The twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.0 litre petrol V6 GT-R LM, with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) driving all four wheels, was introduced just over a year ago. It was slated to compete in the entire 2015 season, but Nissan elected to withdraw from the initial two races to introduce the GT-R LM at the third race in Le Mans.
All three cars were well off the pace, with none of the cars placing. Two of the cars were forced to retire with mechanical issues, and the third car was parked early to make one final lap at the end of the 24 hour race.
Nissan then announced it was withdrawing from the 2015 WEC schedule to concentrate on testing and development of the GT-R LM. The departure of Nissan P1 racing programme head Darren Cox in October, although expected, left a void in the team. The company quickly called in Mike Carcamo, who was tasked with revamping the LMP programme.
The statement from Nissan has come as a surprise, in view of the holiday season. However, the statement added that the automaker will continue supporting WEC through its various engine programmes.
