Le Mans – Nissan unveils the Zeod RC engine

The Nissan Zeod RC is expected at the start of the next 24 Hours of Le Mans which will be held on June 14 and 15. The car which will occupy the 56th stand reserved for new technologies will be powered by the DIG-T R 1.5l 3-cylinder turbo. This block will be capable of developing power of 400hp, with a torque of 380NM at 7500 rpm, for a weight of only 40kg. The Zeod RC, which takes the design of the DeltaWing seen in 2012 in Sarthe, left the test bench for its first driving session last week, being active in thermal and electric mode. The Japanese car equipped with a five-speed gearbox will be able to complete a full lap (13,629km) in electric mode at each stint.

“Our team has done an outstanding job with this internal combustion engine”, comments Darren Cox, Nissan sporting director. “We knew the Nissan Zeod RC's electrical system was going to turn heads at Le Mans, but our zero emissions drive made possible with the electric/thermal unit is a pretty impressive piece of engineering. Nissan will become the first major manufacturer to use a 3-cylinder in an international mechanical competition. We intend to remain among the industry leaders by focusing on “downsizing” (reducing engine capacity). The lessons learned from the development of this engine will be transferred to passenger cars in the future. »

The presentation video of the Nissan DIG-T R 1.5l 3-cylinder turbo can be found on this link.