Nissan is turning motorsport wisdom on its head by trying to win Le Mans with a front-engined, front-wheel-drive LMP1. GARY WATKINS examines the bold thinking behind the GT-R LM

We were always expecting something different from Nissan. It has, after all, been building a reputation as something of an off-beat, even zany, manufacturer and it does employ arguably the most imaginative mind in motorsport in Ben Bowlby. But how different!

Nissan's GT-R LM NISMO turns conventional motorsport thinking on its head. Or rather back to front. The rumours had quietly gained momentum that the car was indeed front-engined and front-wheel-drive, but seeing - and reading - was truly believing.

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