By Steve & Tamami Laser
Nissan unveiled the second-generation Leaf NISMO RC today during a presentation in Tokyo. The powerful EV race car is scheduled to make its official debut at Fuji International Speedway circuit this weekend during the annual NISMO Festival where Nissan will also take its Formula E electric racer to the track.
Nissan plans to build six of the new Leaf NISMO RCs and take them to various global events, including EV races and auto shows, to promote the automaker’s EV technology and its best-selling electric production car.
The specially built NISMO RC is dressed with Leaf-inspired styling cues, including Nissan’s V-motion front fascia with LED headlights, yet nearly everything else is custom-built for high-performance. For example, the bodywork features removable front and rear sections, an adjustable rear wing, and extensive use of lightweight components.
Motohiro Matsumura (above), chief operating officer of Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. (NISMO), introduced the new Leaf NISMO RC to the media and special guests at Nissan Crossing in Tokyo’s Ginza district.
The racer features two electric motors that deliver a combined output of 240 kW and an amazing 640 Nm of instantly available torque to the front and rear drive wheels. High-capacity lithium-ion batteries and inverters are sourced from the production Leaf. Nissan says the power output for the NISMO RC is doubled compared to the first-generation model that made its debut in 2011.
Fitted with all-wheel drive, power is independently managed for the front and rear axles, with torque transferred to the tires with the most grip. At the NISMO Festival, Nissan says that professional drivers will demonstrate the race car’s potential by driving at high-speed around the circuit at Fuji Speedway.
The Leaf NISMO RC is built like a race car with a full cabon-fiber monocoque structure weighing just 1,220 kg (2,690 lb.), including a CFRP reinforced roll cage and sub-frame. Nissan says that the racer is capable of zero to 100 kph (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds, about 50 percent faster than its predecessor.
The Nissan Leaf NISMO RC is a specially built race car
News source and photos courtesy of Nissan Motor Corp. and Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd.
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