Le Mans – Silence, engine, action for Nissan’s ZEOD RC

The Nissan ZEOD RC prototype (equipped with a 3 hp 1,5-cylinder 400 liter engine to which is attached an electrical system that can take over at any time) will be one of the attractions of the third round of the World Championship.Endurance 2014 (June 14-15 for the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans). Whoever takes their place in stand 56, reserved for technologically innovative vehicles, will perform a first on the legendary Sarthe circuit, namely a lap in near silence. Indeed, the ZEOD RC will be able, after a relay on its fuel reserve, to complete an additional lap on its electric propulsion alone.

In order to perfect their knowledge of the car, Lucas Ordóñez and his teammates Wolfgang Reip and Satoshi Motoyama drove last week at Paul Ricard in France. “There are a lot of systems and procedures that pilots have to understand. It was interesting to learn more last week not only which button to press and when, but also exactly what it does. We know this wasn't going to be easy at all, but that's why we're doing it. Everyone on the team is learning all the time, but the lessons learned from this will play an important role in our racing programs in the future, but also for the road cars. It’s really pushing the boundaries. We had our share of problems during the development process, but if it were easy, everyone would be trying. » explains the young Spaniard.

The winner of the first GT Academy, however, will not be present during the test day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 1, just like the Japanese Satoshi Motoyama, both of whom are entered in Super GT. The Belgian Wolfgang Reip will be assisted by the Brazilian Tommy Erdos for the occasion, twice winner of the Sarthe classic in LM P2.

>>>>> The Nissan ZEOD RC engine explained in video <<<<