Nissan tests DeltaWing in a wind tunnel before Le Mans

Nissan sent out a video on Thursday, calling it part one in a series on the development on the DeltaWing. The videos will tell the behind-the-scenes story of the car’s journey to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Similar to the Juke-R series, which stretched to nearly 10 videos, this series will show the process of making the DeltaWing race ready. This episode focuses on wind-tunnel testing. Nissan says new episodes will air every two weeks, followed by a documentary in June.

“We’ve had the Nissan film crew following our every move throughout the development of the car over the past few months,” said designer Ben Bowlby. “And this will give the fans a great insight into the creation of the Nissan DeltaWing.”

The DeltaWing was originally planned as the next IndyCar chassis. After it was passed over for the Dallara chassis, Nissan decided it would campaign the car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Nissan partnered with several outfits while making the car roadworthy. Project managing partner Don Panoz has been key in the development; so has Dan Gurney and his All American Racers organization and Duncan Dayton’s Highcroft Racing team.

Nissan said it doesn’t mind having the public keep an eye on what it is doing.

“This is an innovative project that could change the face of motorsport, and the fans should be shown the full story,” said general manager Darren Cox. “Too often motorsport development is hidden away and kept secret. Nissan wants to make this exciting part of the sport accessible. These films will give some insight into the very steep learning curve the team faces to even get to the Le Mans 24 Hours.”

Testing in Europe will begin next week.

By Jake Lingeman