Nissan is turning its all-electric Nissan LEAF into a zero-emissions race car. The LEAF NISMO RC prototype debuted this week at the New York Auto Show. The vehicle is powered by a lithium ion battery, just like its street-legal cousin, but that’s about the end of the similarities between the two vehicles. The battery pack has been moved to the center of the vehicle in the race car, and the body is now made of carbon fiber, which helps to reduce the car’s weight by 40%. The LEAF NISMO RC uses LED lighting, an adjustable rear wing, and other technologies to set it apart from both its road-going relative and its racing competitors. Unfortunately also setting it apart from its competitors is its 6.85-second 0-60 time and its 93-mile-per-hour top speed, which it will have to improve on dramatically to make a name for itself in racing.
