Nissan Leaf Nismo RC concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Countless auto industry pundits have suggested that there would be no better way to accelerate the development of EV technologies than for someone with the wherewithal to organize a racing series just for electric cars.

Nissan appears to agree with that strategy, having just unveiled its Leaf Nismo RC (Racing Competition) concept here at the New York Auto Show. The juiced-up hatchback has lost a couple of doors and nearly four inches out of its wheelbase in the transition to competition spec, but it’s a whopping 6.7-inches wider and nearly an inch longer – proportions that are exaggerated by its minimal ground clearance of 2.4 inches. With its carbon fiber body shot in special white paint, the Nismo RC ends up looking a bit like a really, really angry vacuum cleaner, and that’s just fine by us. All-in, Nissan says the motorsports special weighs just 2,068 pounds – around 40 percent lighter than your garden-variety Leaf.

The Nismo RC rolls up to the starting line packing 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and its lithium-ion pack can reach an 80 percent charge state in just 30 minutes. Still, if the Leaf is ever to be raced, we’re thinking that some sort of swappable battery solution will have to be developed; otherwise pit stops are going to be rather leisurely.

Despite its menacing appearance and real racecar engineering, Nissan says its top speed is just 93 mph and its battery would likely only last about 20 minutes in competition. In other words, while this is a promising start, we don’t see the Nismo RC spawning its own race series just yet.

High-res galleries below, official press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading New York 2011: Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC ready to jolt motorsports world?

New York 2011: Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC ready to jolt motorsports world? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan has revealed its Townpod EV concept, a sort of larger, more amorphous take on the Cube and Leaf. Singularly Japanese in feel, the Townpod is intended to bridge the world of private and commercial vehicles. According to the splendiforously indulgent press release (sample: “The innovative position of the headlights also allows a coupe-esque bonnet line, not dissimilar to Nissan Z, which feeds in to a visor-like wraparound, blue tinted glass house, reminiscent of Nissan Cube, while the galls to body proportions hark back to the rat-rods of the fifties.“), the Townpod targets everyone from young entrepreneurs to first-time home builders and retirees looking to turn their hobby into a paycheck.

The barn-doored concept has a bizarrely characterful and friendly looking animated marshmallow-like face, with headlamps that feature blue ‘petals’ that change position depending on whether they are being used as marker units or headlights. The interior is a flexible space that’s designed to accept third-party storage accessories and such, and it’s complete with a display that according to Nissan is designed to coordinate with the owner’s PDA (who uses a PDA anymore?).

Nissan says that the Townpod has been designed as an EV, though interestingly, it actually doesn’t explain the motivational technology underneath the vehicle’s sheetmetal. Its mystery powerplant is seemingly appropriate for such a blank-canvas concept, of course. After all, François Bancon, Nissan’s general manager of its Exploratory and Advance Planning Department notes that the same blank-slate mindset is true of the car’s intended audience: “What is more revealing is that Nissan Townpod users do not appreciate stereotypes or status symbols. For them, the ultimate status is to have no status.” Uh-huh.

Check out our high-res galleries below and be sure to hop the jump for more sage thoughts from Nissan.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Paris 2010: Townpod EV concept continues Nissan’s obsession with car as appliance

Paris 2010: Townpod EV concept continues Nissan’s obsession with car as appliance originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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