Japanese manufacturer's engines will dominate round-the-clock classic, powering more than half of all LMP2 cars plus the experimental Nissan DeltaWing

Nissan engines used by 25% of the field, more than any other manufacturer

Experimental Nissan DeltaWing - which aims to use half the fuel of conventional racers - spearheads dominant entry to 24 Hours

More than half the LMP2 field - 13 out of 20 cars - choose Nissan

Beirut (08, June 2012) 

Nissan will be the dominant force at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, with a quarter of all entries running on Nismo-tuned Nissan power.

Spearheading Nissan's dominant entry to the famous endurance race, on June 16/17, will be the hugely innovative, experimental racing car - the Nissan DeltaWing - which aims to change the face of motor racing by completing the Le Mans 24 Hours using half the fuel and half the tyre material of a conventional LMP racer.

Leading the charge in the LMP2 class, in which Nismo-produced Nissan units power more than half of the competing cars, are Nissan's partner teams, Signatech Nissan and Greaves Motorsport.
Among the drivers vying for LMP2 victory this year will be two graduates of Nissan's unique GT Academy initiative, which has made motorsport careers a reality for Playstation 3 gamers; Lucas Ordonez - who will share his car with ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle - and second GTA champion, Jordan Tresson.
Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe, said: "This year's Le Mans 24 Hours will be our biggest yet and the Nissan DeltaWing shows the direction we are looking to take with motorsport technology in the future. We are already dominant in LMP2, where teams know that we can help them win, while the DeltaWing project is the kind of experiment in design and technology that only a company as forward-thinking and bold as Nissan could get behind.

"As a test bed for future road car and motorsport innovations, there is no greater, more publicly-scrutinised laboratory than the Le Mans 24 Hours for the experiment that DeltaWing represents, but the concept will prove that the technology for a vastly more efficient future is viable now, whether the car finishes the race or not."

The Nissan DeltaWing is the most revolutionary car to appear in motorsport for a generation; the aim is to show that it is possible to make huge efficiency savings by downsizing and using a truly innovative aerodynamic package.

Everything about DeltaWing is designed with efficiency in mind - its unique shape has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional racer, while all parts - including the downsized Nissan 1.6-litre DIG-Turbo engine - are smaller and weigh much less than traditional Le Mans machines. The car is so unique that it competes in the race outside the regulations of Le Mans, wearing the number '0' and running from "Garage 56", reserved exclusively for experimental racers.

Nissan's involvement in LMP2 is similarly ground-breaking, thanks to the presence of GT Academy graduates - Spaniard, Ordonez and Frenchman, Tresson.

Winner of the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008, Ordonez finished second in LMP2 at Le Mans in 2011 and this year will race with the Greaves Motorsport team alongside 1990 Le Mans 24 Hour winner and former F1 racer, Martin Brundle and his son Alex.

Also aiming to become the first gamer-turned-racer to win Le Mans outright, Tresson - winner of the second GT Academy in 2010 - joins 2011 Le Mans LMP2 winner, Olivier Lombard and runner-up, Franck Mailleux, at the Signatech team.

-Ends-

About Nissan in the Middle East
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. became the first Japanese car manufacturer to establish a regional Middle East headquarters in June 1994. Nissan operations now cover over 20 countries across the region making it one of the best represented Japanese automotive brands in the Middle East. From its pioneering crossover vehicles and class-leading small cars to the legendary Nissan GT-R and all-conquering SUVs such as the 'Hero of All Terrain', Nissan Patrol, Nissan Middle East's vehicle line-up is one of the broadest and most popular in the region, covering almost every segment of the automotive market.

ABOUT RYMCO:
Rasamny-Younis Motor Company S.A.L. (RYMCO) is a joint stock company, ISO certified 9001:2008 that was established in 1957 in Lebanon and is the only automotive dealer to be listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange since 1998. RYMCO is one of the leading vehicle retail dealerships in Lebanon where it holds majority market share in the new vehicle retail industry, and commands a considerable portion of the used vehicle market. RYMCO operates a chain of independent showrooms and stores, a bonded warehouse as well as state-of-the-art servicing and maintenance facilities. The company has an automotive dealership arrangement with auto manufacturers in the US, Japan, Europe and China that include the likes of automotive giants Nissan Motors (Nissan, Infiniti), GM vehicles (GMC), Renault trucks, UD Trucks, and Kawasaki under the Leisure division. RYMCO marine is another unit within the RYMCO operations specialized in the servicing of boats under the brand name of RYMCO Marine.
In 2009, RYMCO UK was granted the right to distribute the Infiniti brand of cars in London. It will cover distribution for the area through three SSS IREDI facilities in Reading, Chiswick and Hatfield; along with a boutique in the centre of London in Piccadilly.

RYMCO SAL holds also the majority of the shareholding of free zone companies in Syria which main activity is the importation of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles and the storage of these vehicles in the free zone areas, for the purpose of reselling them to the Syrian market (mainly to a Syrian company owning the exclusive distribution for Nissan cars in Syria.)

For more local information you can visit the Infiniti Media Channel through www.nissan-me.co or contact:
Rymco
Rana Eyami
Tel: +961 1 273333
Fax: +961 1 274311
Email: rana.eyamie@rymco.com Memac Ogilvy PR

Blanche Baz / Layale Abou Antoun
Tel: +961 1 486 066
Fax: +961 1 486 064
Email: blanche.baz@ogilvy.com
Layale.abouantoun@ogilvy.com

© Press Release 2012