The Nissan hybrid car, it’s claimed, will reach speeds higher than 300 km/h or 185 mph.
Nissan debuted the latest version of its electric racecar – Zeod RC – today at the headquarters of its Nismo, in Yokohama. The initial prototype show car of the electric racer was revealed at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race. Today’s version showed changes with revamped styling, aerodynamic updates, and new cooling inlets.
Nissan claims the Zeod RC will become the first car to complete an entire race lap of the 8.5-mile Le Mans course on nothing but electric power. Since, like its earlier Nissan Delta Wing predecessor in 2012, Zeod operates as a Garage 56 entry, it is essentially a public relations effort because the car does not qualify for any of the existing Le Mans racing classes.
With all racing organizations searching for relevance – and perhaps a return to something bearing the resemblance of actual production cars – it is not surprising that the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizers of the Le Mans 24 Hours, will allow the purpose-built non-racer to run.
Nissan will this an early version of a hybrid car ahead of a potential return to endurance racing in the future, during the same race where Toyota and Audi will run unlimited hybrid racers in the fastest LMP1 class. These are the only two companies thus far using hybrid technology at Le Mans, although Porsche had said it would also do so in 2014.
The Nissan hybrid car, it’s claimed, will reach speeds higher than 300km/h (185 mph), which means it will lap the famous French Sarthe circuit faster than an existing LM GTE class car. The driver will be able to switch between electric power and a small lightweight turbocharged internal combustion engine. The car – which shares the same lithium ion battery technology as the Nissan Leaf – will recharge the battery via regenerative braking.
Fans will get the chance to take a close look at the Zeod RC in the Fuji paddock throughout the course of the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend.
Earlier this year Nismo and Williams Advanced Engineering said they would collaborate on the development of high performance road cars. Williams’ knowledge of aerodynamics, simulation and material science would be used by the development team from Nismo currently working on developing future vehicles for launch worldwide stating in 2014.
While Nismo is known to motorsports and performance car enthusiasts in Japan and to millions of gamers, the brand is virtually unknown in global enthusiast circles. A GT-R Nismo late this year will be the third Nismo-badged model following the launch of the Juke Nismo and 370Z Nismo earlier in 2013.
Last February, Nismo kicked off the start of what it hopes will be a new era in its development as a performance brand with the official opening of a new global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. Nissan remade a former production site to give it the resources for expanding beyond motorsports to encompass performance car development.
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