Nissan has unveiled the all-new Nissan Leaf NISMO RC at the 2018 NISMO Festival at Fuji International Speedway. If you are wondering why Nissan would showcase a Leaf at a high-octane event, that’s because the electric hatchback has been thoroughly redeveloped into a purpose-built race car.
Built and developed by Nissan’s racing arm, NISMO, the only ethos shared between a standard Leaf and this race car is its all-electric drivetrain and its moniker. The track-ready Leaf gains a full carbon fibre racing monocoque which allowed the engineers to shed some 200 kgs to a final figure of 1,220 kg.
This weight savings is significant because NISMO has fitted the race car with a dual motor set up – one on each axle. Power is now up to 240 kW (326 hp) and 640 Nm, allowing the Leaf NISMO RC to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Its all-wheel-drive system gives the car remarkable agility around the corners thanks to independent torque vectoring to each axle.
The exterior styling is nothing like what you see on a regular leaf. The roofline has been significantly lowered, measuring only 1,212 mm from roof to road – more than 300 mm less than the road going model. NISMO has taken design inspiration from the Nissan Formula E race car with its silver and black paint scheme, fixed windows and an adjustable rear wing.
Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s global head of marketing, sales and electric vehicles said: “The all-new LEAF NISMO RC shows how we’re setting our sights even higher when it comes to raw power and performance – making electric vehicles even more exciting for customers. It’s our most thrilling expression yet of the philosophy of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.”
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Nissan Leaf NISMO RC
