A Nissan V8 Supercars engine is being shipped to Japan after one of the companys most senior global bosses ordered the official Nismo motorsport division to make it more competitive against its rivals.
Briton Andy Palmer is a Nissan executive vice president with a variety of responsibilities including global product planning.
His decision to get Nismo more deeply involved was confirmed to v8supercars.com.au by Simon Sproule, Nissans corporate vice president in charge of global marketing communications and motorsport.
Andy has told Nismo this is your responsibility to get this fixed
these car carry Nismo badging on the side and he told Nismo in Japan you make this car competitive, Sproule said.
Lets be very clear, he added, if it has got Nismo on the side of it, wherever it races, Nismo in Japan has the responsibility to make sure it performs.
It is very clear instruction form Andy. If Nismo is on the side of the car it doesnt matter where it races or who is racing it. It is out engine so they (Nismo) have to up their game and they know that.
Development of the production-based 5.0-litre version of the VK56DE engine for the factory-backed Nissan Altima V8 Supercars attack has so far primarily been the responsibility of Nissan Motorsport (nee Kelly Racing).
Nismo, which is heaquartered in Yokohama, has provided some guidance, but so far there has been no performance breakthrough.
The multi-valve Nissan engine has struggled to match the existing Ford and GM pushrod racing engines for both power and economy.
The 5.0-litre version of the AMG M159 engine developed by Erebus Motorsport in co-operation with HWA in Germany has suffered similar issues, but is believed to now produce more competitive power.
Sproule stressed that Nismos increased engine development did not reflect on the efforts put in by Kelly Racing.
