Movie goers were treated to a dramatization of one of the greatest rivalries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Ford vs Ferrari, but Ford isn't the only auto manufacturer that's had dreams of winning in the south of France. Nissan has made a few attempts to put their name on the top of the list since their first try in 1986 as the categories have changed over they years. While the overall podium has alluded them, they've still managed to make their mark in endurance sports car racing.
Group C
Le Mans is like a lot of racing series' where design is a major factor and can end up with dominant cars running the events. When Nissan came to Le Mans in 1986 when Group C prototypes were the top category, that class was dominated by the Porsche 962. Using a March chassis with Nissan engines they were able to complete 284 laps in two trips around the clock good for 16th place, but far from the pace of the winning Porsche 962 at 367 laps. An upgraded R90C set the pole in 1990 but had trouble finishing the race, with only one entry taking the checkered in 5th.
The GT-1 Era
Eventually the tunnel underbody design of the Group C cars faded as costs skyrocketed with companies spending big money chasing the dominant Porsches. Le Mans returned to production based formula that saw Nissan entering an GT-R in the GT-1 category. Unfortunately that was also the year that the insane McLaren F1 took the field, which was about to start another spending war. To deal with the increasing production of name only racers, Nissan returned with the R390 built with help from Tom Wilkinshaw Racing, but cooling problems ended their ambitions with the transmissions overheating during the race.
LMP2
While the overall win has alluded Nissan, the LMP2 category with its focus on production engines has turned out to be Nissan's place to shine. The 4.5 liter V8 became the weapon of choice among the lightweight prototype category, scoring a win and second place in 2011. In 2013 Nissan power sat in seven of nine podium finishers in the accompanying series.
ZEOD RC
Occasionally the prototype cars live up to their namesake by bringing something new to the track. Truly experimental cars are given the Garage 54 entry. For 2014 Nissan entered the ZEOD RC which featured a unique dragster style design and a hybrid powerplant that could complete a lap after using the brakes to charge over the course of a tank of fuel. Gearbox issues, unfortunately, kept the ZEOD (for Zero Emissions On Demand) from topping the field.
Source: Nissan