Become a Member: Get Ad-Free Access to All Our Content
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC

The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Is All Juiced Up and Ready for Speed

A Muscular EV

Nissan brought the Leaf Nismo RC to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, for testing. The electric twin-motor setup and all-wheel drive is good for 322 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The car is capable of a 0 to 62 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds. That means this car was designed for the track.

The Leaf Nismo RC isn’t a production vehicle, though we wish it was. Nissan crafted this vehicle to be a “test-bed for future technologies,” with the goal of exploring what the car can achieve with a twin-motor setup, according to Carscoops. The car isn’t some regular leaf with some high-performance parts on it. The race car features a legit carbon-fiber tub. The car weighs a total of about 2,700 pounds. 

The all-wheel-drive system puts the power to the wheel with the most grip. To help keep grip high, Nissan put the electric motors directly over the wheels so that their weight would provide the best possible balance. “It amplifies the fun-to-drive aspect of electric mobility, raising the thrills offered by EVs to a new level,” Michael Carcamo, Nissan Global Motorsport Director said.

It will be interesting to see how Nissan uses what it learns from this vehicle in future versions of the Leaf and other electric cars.