Nissan 370Z Nismo races man in wingsuit

Tue, 01 Oct 2013

For its latest ad, Nissan brought together a racecar driver in a 370Z Nismo, a BASE jumper in a wingsuit and a Juke crossover with three computer screens to the Susten Pass in the Swiss Alps. As odd as the combination sounds, the ingredients come together quite nicely for an action-packed display of man versus machine in a race to the end of the pass.

No, the Juke didn't race. Nissan left that to 2012 Nissan GT Academy Champion Peter Pyzera in the 370Z, who diced his way down the windy mountain pass. Pyzera faced renowned BASE jumper Dave Barlia in the wingsuit, who jumped off a cliff and relied merely on gravity and lift to rocket down the side of the mountain.

The Juke we mentioned earlier, known as the JukeRide, played an important role in the event, but you'll have to find out by watching the set of videos we provided below, which includes the commercial and behind-the-scenes footage. If you like what you see, rejoice; Nissan says there will be more short films like this to showcase its Nismo cars and athletes.

NISSAN TAKES PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH THRILLING NEW NISMO VIDEO

- Nismo Athlete Peter Pyzera takes on extreme BASE jumper David Barlia in thrilling challenge

- Cutting-edge biometric harnesses capture live data from the athletes as they take on the Swiss Alps
- Nismo performance analysis centre, JukeRide, showcases technology behind Nissan's Driver Development Programme

Rolle, Switzerland (1st October, 2013) - Nissan today unveiled the first in a series of stunning Nismo short films showcasing the cutting edge technology and spirit of excitement behind both Nismo road cars and Nismo Athletes.

Set in Switzerland's dramatic Susten Pass, 'Nismo Vs. Wingsuit' treats the viewer to a two minute nail-biting encounter featuring Germany's 2012 Nissan GT Academy Champion, Peter Pyzera, as he goes head-to-head with world-renowned BASE jumper Dave Barlia.

The 4,501 feet descent sees Barlia reach speeds of more than 210km/h (or 130mph), coming within six metres of the dominating rock face equipped with little more than his wingsuit. Meanwhile Pyzera, in his 370Z Nismo, negotiates his way along the unforgiving switchback road in a bid to beat the American.

The film showcases advanced technology such as the biometric harness and JukeRide used by the Nismo Athletes during the Driver Development Programme at the state-of-the-art Nismo Lab. The gruelling training and performance regime, with cutting-edge technology at its core, has been designed to ensure that Nismo Athletes can mix it with the best sports car racers in the world after just three months of training.

On completion of the descent, Nismo Athlete Pyzera commented: "That was absolutely amazing, I could see Dave up above me and I just had to concentrate and get in the zone to beat him down. Afterwards we looked at the data we gathered from wearing the biometric harnesses, which monitor my biometric data, and I could see when I was totally focussed. While this is fun, it is serious business - it not only improves my performance but is invaluable in helping me prepare for my next race."

Nismo Athletes benefit from the latest, advanced conditioning equipment such as Nissan's In-Body machine, which analyses body composition; Brainwave Monitor, which trains the mind to simultaneously focus and relax; a Batak console to improve reaction times and a race simulator which allows Nismo Athletes to practice on any race track in the world.

GT Academy, now in its fifth season, is a competition created by Nissan and PlayStation® that unites the worlds of virtual and real-life racing to make the dreams of aspiring race drivers a reality. Nissan went in search of the best online gamers and aspiring race drivers, offering the ultimate champion a full season's contract with Nissan and the opportunity to compete in a top flight Championship.

Inspired by Nissan's renowned Nismo performance arm, GT Academy celebrates Nissan's first-class technology and its passion for giving fans the 'edge'.

By Damon Lowney