There has been a lot of conversation lately about electric cars and racing, with some even talking about introducing the technology into the F1 stage. Nissan, on its part, has a lot to gain in terms of awareness given the brands focus on the development of dedicated electric vehicles like the Leaf.
With this in mind, the Japanese carmaker developed a purpose-built prototype racer loosely based on the production Leaf, that will receive its first public outing at the 2011 New York International Auto Show on April 20th. Compared to the production model, the Lead NISMO RC (for Racing Competition), does away with the rear doors, rear seat, boot, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, while gaining a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter.
The dedicated racer also gets a full carbon fibre monocoque bodywork with removable front and rear sections, fixed windows, LED headlights and taillights and driver-adjustable rear wing. The Leaf RC features a 99 mm shorter wheelbase, is 20 mm longer and 170 mm wider than the production Leaf, with the most dramatic change concerning height, as the RC sits more than 350 mm lower than the road-going model. Ground clearance is limited to 60 mm, but crucially, at 938 kg, the race version of the Nissan Leaf weighs in around 40 percent less than the production vehicle.
Underneath the carbon fibre skin, the NISMO RC features a mid-mounted lithium-ion battery and a 80 kW AC synchronous motor that generates 79 kW and 280 N.m of torque, both sourced directly from the production model. However, power is transferred to the rear-wheels versus the production Leaf’s front-wheel drive. The NISMO RC also makes us of a double-wishbone suspension design front and rear, as well as driver-adjustable brake balance, while it rides on 18-inch 6-spoke wheels and 225/40 R18 Bridgestone racing rubber.
Nissan says that in preliminary testing, the NISMO RC returned 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 6.85 seconds and a top speed of 148 km/h, adding that it is projected to have a running time of around 20 minutes under racing conditions. The Lead NISMO RC isn’t just a pure study as Nissan said it will likely make a series of special demonstration appearances at various motorsports venues throughout the year, with the company exploring electric vehicle competition spec series in future years.
“Combining the talents of NISMO, Nissan’s world renowned motorsports group, and engineers behind some of the company’s Super GT and FIA GT1 race teams, the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC will serve as a rolling laboratory for the accelerated development of EV and aerodynamic systems, as well as a platform for the development of new green motorsports series,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas.
