FEATURE NISSAN VK45DE
The 32-valve, 90-degree V8 engine is currently running successfully in ORECA and Zytek chassis, with Zytek Engineering having exclusive rights to supply and service the engine in Europe and North America
companies and so it was a natural choice to opt for a Japanese partner. While Zytek looked at various options, including both V8
naturally aspirated and V6 turbocharged engines, it was Nissan’s Super GT engine that was selected. Mid-2010, the two companies began to talk, and there was
more to this than just an existing relationship: ‘We wanted to go with something that we felt was good, reliable technology,’ says Zytek Engineering operations director, John Manchester. The appeal of the Nissan engine was that it had already proven itself in Super GT, and in 2008 had won said championship. With all the other engines examined, none had a racing pedigree of any kind and, observes Manchester, ‘there would have been an element of risk and also extra cost involved.’
“it is very conventional. What we have done is to make the engine very efficient” Although any new LMP2 engine was to be available for a
variety of LMP2 chassis, it was understood that it should also fit into the company’s own cars. The Nissan unit also ticked that box, and so a deal was signed at last year’s 1000kms of Silverstone. Zytek now has the exclusive rights to supply and service the VK45DE in Europe and North America for the Intercontinental Le Mans Challenge, Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series, and the Le Mans 24 hours. Since then, Zytek has worked in close conjunction with
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www.racecarengineering.com • August 2011
NISMO on the development of this new flat plane crank engine, sending engineers to Japan and vice versa. The first test engine was built in December in Japan and completed 6000kms on the test bed. The following month, engine kits commenced delivery to Repton, UK, where they were assembled. Four cars – three ORECAs and a Zytek chassis – were running with the new 32-valve, 90-degree V8, 4494cc Nissan engines by March, something that Manchester admits was not anticipated. To the Signatech Group’s ORECA that had taken pole at Sebring could be added at Paul Ricard cars from Boutsen Energy Racing, TDS Racing and Greaves Motorsport. Together they made up a third of the LMP2 field for the LMS opening round.
Building to a cost In Super GT racing guise, the engine is extremely expensive, so the LMP2 design had to be cheapened to enable it to meet the new cost cap regulations. These engines can only be sold for a maximum price of 75,000 Euros (£66,000 / $108,280), so Nissan and Zytek had to be able to build the engine under this price cap, which is the same for every engine supplier in the class. As Manchester points out, you cannot take a standard road car V8, insert it into a Le Mans Prototype and expect it to do 6000kms. ‘It just would not happen, it would break. Standard components like crankshafts, rods and pistons are not made for that kind of durability. An average lap of Le Mans is around 70 per cent on full throttle, meaning that a huge amount of l oad goes through such parts, so you have to fit bespoke parts.’ NISMO specifically asked Zytek to manufacture various
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