The name on the back panel, just under the adjustable rear wing, says Nissan LEAF®. The power train is an 100 percent zero emission advanced Lithium-ion battery design, just like that found on the world’s first affordable mass market electric vehicle. And despite its lack of rear doors, rear seat, trunk, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, there is a discernible family resemblance.
But that is where the similarities between the production LEAF® and the Nissan LEAF® NISMO RC end. As indicted by the “RC” – for Racing Competition – this is an electric vehicle built to bring new meaning to the term “Racing Green.”
As the world leader in zero emission mass production vehicles with LEAF®, Nissan and its motorsports subsidiary NISMO is looking to the racing world as a way to draw attention to the seemingly untapped potential of electric vehicles.
Owners of the Nissan LEAF®, were invited to Oppama, Japan recently to celebrate the second anniversary of the day the innovative car went on sale. There they were allotted the experience of laps in the racing car at the GranDrive test track.
The Nissan LEAF® NISMO RC is designed and constructed as a real racing machine, starting with its full carbon fiber ‘monocoque’ bodywork. Its three-piece bodywork utilizes a structural shell that supports most of the load. It includes removable front and rear sections, fixed windows, LED headlights and taillights and adjustable rear wing. Building on the unique exterior styling of the production Nissan LEAF®, the 2-door race version was created by Nissan Global Design Center in Japan. Special 4-coat Pearl White paint with blue NISMO/Zero Emission graphics completes the exterior.
Like the production LEAF®, the NISMO RC LEAF® is powered by a lithium-ion battery composed of 48 compact modules and a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor that generates 107 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. It can be charged up to 80 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes using the quick charging port located inside the rear cowl.
Dimensionally, the LEAF® race car features a 3.9-inch shorter wheelbase, is 0.8 inches longer and 6.7 inches wider. The most dramatic difference is height, with the NISMO RC sitting more than a foot (13.8 inches) lower than the production Nissan LEAF®. Ground clearance is limited to 2.4 inches, compared to 6.3 inches for the road going car. And, at 2,068 pounds, the race car weighs in at about 40 percent less than the production vehicle.
The layout of the NISMO RC is also markedly different from the production sedan, offering a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter – with drive to the rear wheels versus the production Nissan LEAF’s front-wheel drive. The NISMO RC also utilizes a double-wishbone suspension design front and rear and driver-adjustable brake balance. It rides on 18-inch 6-spoke wheels and 225/40R18 Bridgestone racing tires.
The NISMO RC produces 0 to 62 mph acceleration in 6.85 seconds and a top speed of 93 miles per hour. It has a running time of around 20 minutes under racing conditions.
There’s a perception among some people that electric vehicles fall on the dull side of the automotive enthusiasm scale – which is certainly not the case with either the production LEAF® or this electrifying Nissan LEAF® NISMO RC,” added Darren Cox, Nissan’s Director, Global Motorsports. “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 serves 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.”
“Nissan LEAF® owners are fully embracing this new world of zero emission technology. We believe the same potential exists in the motorsports world as well, with Nissan proud to be first on the starting grid.”