The No.21 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo that will race at Le Mans this year will sport a special retro livery inspired by the 1990  Nissan R90CK which scored a pole position at Le Mans that year. The R90CK will appear next to the GT-R LM in a parade prior to the main event to mark the 25th anniversary of that lap.

Granted, a pole lap is not something worth celebrating really, but in fairness Nissan’s racing heritage does not include many occasions like this and you would cut them some slack while they’re milking it for all it’s worth.

And it does not seem the new Nissan GT-R LM Nismo is going to contribute much to that heritage, either. In many way the GT-R LM is like that weird Deltawing project Nissan backed a few years ago. The front-engined, front-wheel-drive racing car is bold and daring and cool, but come on, how can it possibly take on monsters like the Audi R18 e-tron or Porsche 919 Hybrid?

“Our racing heritage is hugely important to us,” said Darren Cox, Global Head of Brand, Marketing & Sales, NISMO. “Our 1998 car hangs on the wall at NISMO HQ in Yokohama as a reminder of our Le Mans podium and  the blue liveries of the Group C and IMSA era of the 80’s and 90’s are a firm favourite with the fans. So much so that when we first started talking about the possibility of a third car livery specifically for our LM P1 debut at Le Mans this year, this was the one that fans across our social media channels called for. It’s a great way to celebrate our past achievements at such a key moment in our current motor racing history.”