▁Pro tot ypes ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁for ▁util izing ▁a ▁front ▁mid - engine ▁layout ▁for ▁its ▁internal ▁comb ust ion ▁engine , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁rear ▁mid - engine ▁layout ▁used ▁by ▁nearly ▁all ▁other ▁compet itors ▁in ▁the ▁category . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁N iss an ' s ▁first ▁prototype ▁since ▁the ▁R 3 9 1 ▁competed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁although ▁the ▁company ▁had ▁supplied ▁engines ▁in ▁recent ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁car ▁was ▁brand ed ▁after ▁the ▁N iss an ▁GT - R ▁road ▁car ▁and ▁shares ▁similar ▁engine ▁and ▁driv et rain ▁configurations , ▁but ▁is ▁not ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁sports ▁car . ▁ ▁The ▁GT - R ▁L M ▁N ismo ▁program ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁while ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁public ly ▁shown ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁N iss an ▁commercial ▁during ▁Super ▁Bowl ▁X LI X ▁on ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁retired ▁from ▁competition ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁after ▁having ▁competed ▁in ▁only ▁one ▁race . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁development ▁Chief ▁designer ▁Ben ▁Bowl by ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁brief ▁from ▁N iss an ▁to ▁not ▁design ▁an ▁" A udi ▁copy ". ▁Bowl by ▁placed ▁the ▁GT - R ▁L M ' s ▁comb ust ion ▁engine ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁co ck pit , ▁a ▁layout ▁that ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁Le ▁Mans ▁pro tot