Death of the DeltaWing: What went wrong? | #TBT

Steven Cole
By Steven Cole Smith
Nov 7, 2024 | Nissan, Panoz, Deltawing | Posted in Features | From the Nov. 2017 issue | Never miss an article

Photography Courtesy Nissan unless otherwise credited

[Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]

And this is where it ends, the story of the loopy, love-it-or-hate-it DeltaWing that was, inarguably, among the most revolutionary race cars of your lifetime–regardless of when “your lifetime” began.

That ending is being written at Wire Wheel Classic Sports Cars, the Vero Beach, Florida, dealer that specializes in …

This content is available for GRM+ members and Grassroots Motorsports magazine subscribers only.

You can read it for free in 146 days or subscribe to GRM+ to read right now.

Subscribe now

Already a member?

Login to read

Join Free Join our community to easily find more Nissan, Panoz and Deltawing articles.
Comments
Trackmouse
Trackmouse SuperDork
11/15/17 2:13 p.m.

Too bad there isn’t another chassis. Buy two, weld them together and have a proper 4 wheeled racer. Sell the rest of the expensive parts off and hope to come in under budget for the challenge. (Largest stretch I’ve ever attempted...)

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
11/15/17 2:15 p.m.

Love this story!  Steven Cole Smith always finds the hidden nuggets in any story and brings them to light.

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham Associate Editor
11/15/17 3:26 p.m.

This is probably my favorite story to come out in the magazine. Wait, am I allowed to pick favorites?

tuna55
tuna55 MegaDork
11/15/17 3:28 p.m.

Free pass to enter the $2018 challenge with this?

 

I'll bet I could get a free pass for Lemons.

 

I am 100% positive I could not get $375K.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
11/15/17 9:43 p.m.

We saw Hayes from Wire Wheel this past weekend. The DeltaWing is still available. And, yes, Steven is an awesome, awesome writer. It's a pleasure to work with him. 

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/15/17 11:51 p.m.

it's a shame these cars were so hated, they had a lot of potential.

racerfink
racerfink UltraDork
11/16/17 1:05 a.m.

The only design goal chassis 001 met was, it actually went around a tight corner.   Other than that, it was a failure, struggling to run LMPC class times..  Subsequent cars had to just about double the hp the be competitive.

Driven5
Driven5 SuperDork
11/16/17 1:08 a.m.

It's a shame that it's a coupe for sale, and not a roadster.  The roadster looked badass.  The coupe just looks...

AaronBalto
AaronBalto Reader
11/16/17 11:35 a.m.

I saw the Delta Wing race at Daytona in 2016--and it was a lovely thing to behold. I was in the Ferrari hospitality trailer--actually two trailers that transformed into three-level, air-conditioned grandestands with catering and a shopping. Everyone was into the Delta there that night. Until it crashed into that dead car in Turn 1. We all stood there, hoping they could get the thing back together. It didn't really look that bad as they hauled it out, and I was surprised to hear that it was toast. So glad I got to see it in its natural habitat. 

HapDL
HapDL New Reader
11/17/17 7:20 a.m.

Stuff like this is how we make progress.  Or not.  But it sure was fugly, and I'm glad it's gone.  Now if we could get rid of some more of the aero ugly race cars of today ......

You'll need to log in to post.

Our Preferred Partners
82US7gW00PJJl73oq2dZJrH3CrqoMA7uzR9rWQNvSXucvtZ8JLEIWeb3YeQpmM5x