Nissan LEAF Nismo RC Racer Hits the Track

Nissan’s little electric racer is starting to look more interesting than ever, as a video showing the LEAF Nismo RS testing on the Sodegaura Forest Raceway this weekend was recently been release. There’s plenty of shots where you can get up close and personal with the carbon fiber body and the racing suspension that’s bolted directly to the tub, but we can’t help but feel something is missing...

The are some interesting shots from inside the car and you get that racing feel fron the LEAF bouncing around on its stiff suspension, and there is none of that “save the whales” attitude you’d expect from an electric vehicle. However, that electric buzz can never compare to a metallic straight-six or a meaty V8.

The test team is prepping the electric racer for the upcoming “Le Mans Vers Le Futur”, a support event for the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place June 11-12. There, it will be joined by other racers that are there to give automaker’s perspective of what the Le Mans scene will look like in coming years.

While it looks similar to the road-going LEAF, the Nismo RC is actually built from scratch using lightweight materials. It packs 107 horsepower and is juiced by a lithium-ion pack that can reach an 80 percent charge state in just 30 minutes.

"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," says Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas.