During Super Bowl XLIX, Nissan decided they should be dead serious instead of funny, as most car ads are, and unveil their brand-new Le Mans LMP1 racing car! After all, Super Bowl is a sporting event, and so is Le Mans.

Nissan GT-R LM NISMO is what the latest Le Mans challenger by the Japanese auto manufacturer is called. The GT-R connection in this car goes deeper than just the name, as LM NISMO uses the sports car’s V6 3-litre twin turbo petrol engine.

But don’t think for a second Nissan GT-R LM NISMO is anything ordinary or predictable. Nissan admits they have found a way round the rules and regulations to create something innovative and unique. Unlike almost all LMP1 cars, the LM NISMO is front-engined and front-whee-drive, and it features a kinetic energy recovery system.

How this new and unusual system will work out for Nissan remains to be seen. The people who made it, though, appear to be pretty chuffed with it, and very confident of success too:

“This is innovation that excites,” said Shoichi Miyatani, President of NISMO. “Sustainability is at the top of our agenda and the technical regulations for Le Mans give us the freedom to pursue new ideas in this area. Our record at Le Mans is third place overall so we have unfinished business there. We want to win and we have the knowledge to do that – for our customers, our employees and our fans. The competition is exceptionally strong and we are excited by the challenge.”