Revealed earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, Leaf Nismo RC is the racing version of the current Nissan Leaf, a model which keeps the same powertrain under the bonnet developing the same amount of power but getting some extra equipment for the track. Built together with the specialists from Nismo, the racing version of the Japanese zero-emission model features the same electric motor that produces 107 horsepower and 281 Nm of torque.
If the standard Leaf is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in around 10 seconds, the specialists from Nismo managed to lower the total mass to 907 kilograms (2000 lbs) thanks to a new lightweight carbon fiber chassis.
Therefore, the performance figures were improved as the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in now achieved in 6,85 seconds while the top speed remains at 150 km/h. The driving range of the Leaf Nismo RC is 20 minutes while with the battery charged at 80% you will get 30 minutes of usage.
Besides the carbon fiber chassis, other features of the track-ready Leaf are the double-wishbone suspension, driver-adjustable brake balance, an adjustable rear wing and of course, the rear wheel drive system. In terms of size, the Japanese model suffered some modifications too being 2 cm longer, 17 cm wider and having a 9,9 cm shorter wheelbase.
The information we are talking about are not quite new as we knew all the interesting facts about the racer Leaf even before the New York Auto Show. What is up-to-date is that the Japanese manufacturer confirmed the new Nissan Leaf Nismo RC for the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race which takes place June 11-12. Somehow expectable, the fully electric racing model will not compete with vehicles powered by conventional fuel but will enter the “Le Mans vers le futur” race, an event specially dedicated to the eco-friendly models.
According to Nissan, the Japanese electric model will be seen on the track on June 9th at 21:15 and June 11th at 12:10 local time. If you want to see how the electric model behaves on the track, you can see the video below as Nissan recently released some driving footage with the Leaf Nismo RC.
