During the transformation the rear doors have gone, the interior has been stripped out and a huge driver-adjustable wing has been bolted on to the back.
In fact, the bodywork is completely different, now featuring a carbon fibre monocoque with removable front and rear sections that gives a 40% weight saving. It’s also 350 mm (13.8 inches) lower, 170 mm (6.7 inches) wider and the wheelbase is 99 mm (3.9 inches) shorter. Overall length is virtually unchanged, though.
Although the powertrain has moved to the middle of the car, it produces the same 107 bhp (80 kW / 108 PS) as the standard Leaf and the lithium-ion battery pack is unchanged. Although the top speed is still just over 90 mph (145 km/h), tweaks have resulted in a much reduced 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 6.85 seconds.
The trade-off for that extra acceleration is range, as the Nismo RC has an anticipated running time of only twenty minutes. Not a lot, then, but it should be sufficient for a short race.
The Nisan Leaf Nismo RC is set to make its debut at the New York International Auto Show on 20th April. It will then go on to make demonstration appearances at motorsport events throughout this year. Beyond that, Nissan is exploring the possibility of a zero emissions race series.
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