Nissan powers VSP racers
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Nissan's acclaimed VQ35 3,5-litre V6 engine has been selected as the power plant for the popular Vodacom Sports Prototype (VSP) Championship for 2002. The VSP series is a one chassis, one engine formula derived from the highly successful Shelby Can-Am Series in the US. With the previous engine sourced from the US having come to the end of its lifespan, the VSP Association began evaluating locally sourced alternatives. After a thorough evaluation process, it chose the all-aluminium Nissan VQ35 engine, a choice that has obviously delighted Nissan SA. The engine, supplied by Nissan, has been kept almost stock standard, and yet it still produces a power output of 225 kW (300 hp) and maximum torque of 370 Nm. The only changes to the engine are to the exhaust system and inlet manifold, and they are simply to allow it to be able to fit in the chassis. "When we did our evaluation of what engines were available, all the signs pointed to the fact that the Nissan V6 unit was the most exciting one around from a technological, reliability and maintenance point of view," said Neville Jordan of the VSP Association. "By all accounts it is a great engine, and will make the cars substantially nicer and more exciting to drive," he added. The development VQ35 unit had its maiden run in the recent 2-hour endurance race held at Kyalami during November and was installed in Gary Formato and Colin Frost's car. The team finished seventh overall. "The most pleasing aspect from the engine point of view was the fact that it ran faultlessly throughout the entire race," said DAW Racing's Greg Canny, the man responsible for preparing and installing the engines and providing technical support for the VSP series. |