Le Mans – First successful challenge for the Nissan Zeod RC

Before its return to LMP1 next year with the GT-R, Nissan is already present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Zeod RC which occupies the 56th stand. If the project of a 1,5l 3-cylinder engine developing 400hp for only 40kg shows promise, the Japanese manufacturer had problems getting started, notably losing a day of testing following gearbox problems. The coolness of the evening allowed the Japanese car to make up part of its delay even if interruptions marred the tests.

Nissan achieved its first objective by crossing the symbolic 300km/h mark on the Mulsanne Straight in electric mode. It was Satoshi Motoyama, teammate of Lucas Ordonez and Wolfgang Reip, who had the honor of crossing the limit first. “I took the wheel of the Zeod for the first time at Le Mans and we were immediately able to exceed 300km/h on electric power alone. I was surprised with the speed and power of electricity… This is a very good first step. »

Nissan's next goal will be to complete a full ride in electric mode. The Zeod RC qualified in 26th position between the LMP2 and the GTE Pro. The video of the first objective achieved by the Japanese manufacturer is accessible here.

The start of the 82nd edition of the 24 Hours will take place tomorrow at 15 p.m. and will be followed live and in full on AUTOhebdo.fr. Photos of the tests can be viewed on this link.