Nissan confirms rollout of Leaf Nismo
THE Nismo performance version of the Nissan Leaf EV that people have long been hoping for is on its way.
An earlier Leaf Nismo RC concept, based on the fi rstgeneration Leaf, never made it into production, but when the second- generation Leaf was launched, Nissan teased fans with another Leaf Nismo concept, which it has fi nally confi rmed will be put into production.
Although the images from the Japanese carmaker show its in-house tuning division has fi nally had its way with the Leaf, it’s not clear just how much the Nismo version will differ from the regular versions of the Leaf EV in terms of performance.
While the Leaf Nismo will develop more downforce, the drag coefficient will remain the same, and a set of special 18-inch alloys will help keep air resistance to an absolute minimum.
Other enhancements come in the shape of a set of Continental ContiSportContact 5 tyres with more grip than the Leaf’s normal rubber, a sport-tuned suspension, and custom steering, brake and stability tuning to promote better handling.
There are some obvious exterior styling enhancements to improve the car’s aerodynamics. On the outside there are signature Nismo emblems, custom lighting, a unique grille and front and rear bumpers, remote- control retracting black side mirrors and the usual Nismo signature red accents.
The red highlights also feature inside the car, where there’s an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a faux- carbon fi nish on the instrument panel, custom gauges, and a special seat and door trim material with some attractive red and grey stitching.
But what everybody really wants to know is how fast the Leaf Nismo will be after a tuning computer gets to grips with it to provide what Nissan describes as “more responsive acceleration,” which it says will be “delicate but strong.”
Once people might have scoffed at the idea of a performance Leaf EV, but now we’ve seen just how fast electric cars can be thanks to the likes of the Nio EP9, there’s no reason for Nissan to be timid with the Leaf Nismo.
The Leaf Nismo will launch in Japan later this month. — Relaxnews