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Top moments of 2012, #10: DeltaWing: DeltaWing is go!

No surprise to note that the 10th top moment is for the Nissan DeltaWing. The newest prototype drew a lot of attention both on and off the track!

#0 Highcroft Racing Delta Wing Nissan: Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama

#0 Highcroft Racing Delta Wing Nissan: Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama

Eric Gilbert

Racing in Supermarionation: if Gerry Anderson was a race car designer, no doubt he would have come up with something that looks like the Highcroft Racing DeltaWing Nissan. This is how unreal the DeltaWing looks and feels like, especially as seen live on track: straight out the 'Thunderbirds'.

It has to be the most bizarre race car design ever, along with the Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler (as well as the 'other' six-wheeler, the Williams FW08D) and the Brabham BT46B fan car (using ideas from the Chaparral 2J). In fact, even radical designs such as the 78-82 era F1 wing cars and other weirdness such as the Lotus 88 twin chassis are tame, in comparison.

#0 Nissan DeltaWing Project 56 Nissan: Lucas Ordonez, Gunnar Jeannette
#0 Nissan DeltaWing Project 56 Nissan: Lucas Ordonez, Gunnar Jeannette

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

The DeltaWing seems to defy every laws of racing physics. In these days and ages of standardization and cost-efficient racing, we have to give an immense respect to those who made this project happen, from Don Panoz to Ben Bowlby, Dan Gurney, Duncan Dayton and Nissan. Very few though that such a radical design and innovation was still possible in contemporary racing.

Seeing it going through the high speed curves at Le Mans and Road Atlanta was quite impressive.

Everybody had their doubts about the handling of this car but it seems that it can perform (and corner) well. F.A.B.

Next: moment #9 and Previous: moment #11

#0 Highcroft Racing Delta Wing Nissan: Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama
#0 Highcroft Racing Delta Wing Nissan: Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

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