TAG Heuer full speed to the 24 Hours of Le Mans
It could be said that the entire TAG Heuer family will be in attendance at the most legendary of endurance motor races: on the track with Team Nissan NISMO and their incredible LMP1 hybrid race car, on the wrist of Patrick Dempsey with his Dempsey Racing team in the GTE-Am class and with the two “Friends of the Brand”, Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung and Indian driver Karun Chandhock, both competing in the LMP2 class.
Nothing surprising there…ever since the 1970s with Ferrari, and of course with Steve McQueen and his Monaco watch for the cult LE MANS film, the history of TAG Heuer has been intimately entwined with that of the circuit almost every year,…and often with the podium.
After 16 years of absence, Nissan is back with a revolutionary new car, a true technological challenge. An incredible car with a unique design, it is a behemoth with more than 1,000 horsepower, hybrid front wheel drive and a V6 3-litre twin turbo engine. It is the only vehicle in 2015 to be powered in this way – all the others are propulsion – not seen since 1997.
A large prototype engine listed in the premier class (LMP1), it brings together the latest technologies in its kinetic energy recovery system, which is incredibly demanding to implement. Three cars have been made, with 9 drivers who will take turns to drive them. Three of them, Lucas Ordonez, Jann Mardenborough and Mark Shulzhitskiy are all graduates of the Nissan Academy, the “school” for drivers which recruits…using a PlayStation game.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and Chairman of the Watch Division of LVMH group, explains: “We want innovation, audacity, and courage to return to the Le Mans course. Nissan NISMO is the perfect challenger, a pioneer when it comes to the technology in their cars, and also particularly in the way they communicate with young people using their massive social media presence. Just take a look at this car, it’s powerful, different, and breaks the mould. It’s the perfect embodiment of our #DontCrackUnderPressure campaign.”
Darren Cox, NISMO’s Global Head of Brand, Marketing & Sales added: “We’re very proud to have been chosen by TAG Heuer. The brand is synonymous with avant-garde and the success of Le Mans, and we want to do everything we can to continue this tradition. It’s great to have them on board.”
THE WATCH TAG Heuer Carrera “NISMO” Calibre 16 Day-Date Chronograph Special Edition : 43 mm, sporty – black with charcoal grey and red bands on the dial – in titanium, micro-blasted with titanium carbide, which is extremely resistant and lighter than steel, this watch is equipped with the famous calibre 16 movement, known for its reliability and robustness. The ceramic bezel is scratch-proof, with a tachometer for measuring average speed. Domed sapphire crystal with antireflective coating on both sides. The caseback is decorated with a Nissan NISMO decal. Soft Touch matt alligator strap with red top-stitching. Water-resistant to 100m.
