THE experimental Nissan DeltaWing prototype sportscar kicked off its European testing programme at Snetterton, Norfolk, this week.
Scotsman Marino Franchitti and German Michael Krumm got the opportunity to sample the car in wet conditions.
Steady rain throughout the morning enabled the team to undertake wet-weather development with tyre partner Michelin, with the hugely innovative 1.6-litre Nissan DIG-T turbo-powered car.
The Nissan DeltaWing features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodymamic drag of a traditional Le Mans sportscar – with front tyres that are only four inches wide.
With the famous Le Mans 24 Hours just two months away, the Nissan DeltaWing team gained valuable information about the ground-breaking car’s performance in typical European track conditions, having conducted all of its development work so far in America.
Darren Cox, General Manager Nissan in Europe, said: ‘The whole Nissan DeltaWing team is still on a massive learning curve. Testing in the States was a stable, predictable way of doing the initial groundwork but this exciting car is going to be racing in the French countryside.
Enormous challenge
‘Today, the whole team got a taste of the conditions they may well face on June 16/17, so it may not have been much fun in the Norfolk rain, but it’s about the best thing that could have happened for a project and a car that will face an enormous challenge just to make the end of the race.’
The Nissan DeltaWing will make its debut at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. Nissan’s involvement in the programme was announced in March, with the manufacturer not only providing the engine, but additional technical resources for the car’s debut.
Designed by Ben Bowlby, the DeltaWing partnership brings together some of the biggest names in North American motorsport. The Nissan DeltaWing will continue its testing programme next week with a two-day test scheduled.