This silence makes the greatest impression. Small stones patter incessantly in the wheel arches and yet, the first and greatest impression is this silence. Motorsport has always been characterized by engine noise and isn't this screeching and blaring of the engines with the fascinating peculiarities of motorsport, which is loved around the world? And now?
The only engine noise in this racing car sounds like an accelerating S-Bahn, but at least, this NISMO Leaf turns better than any other S-Bahn.
Test drive in the NISSAN Leaf NISMO RC
So far, electric vehicles have primarily been technology carriers for a green future, for ecologically correct movement from A to B - but if it is the will of the inventor of the Leaf NISMO RC works, then racing drivers will soon no longer press the gas pedal, but a “watt pedal”. I was able to do a special kind of trip with a special kind of electric car:
About the racetrack from Castelloli with the Leaf NISMO RC:
The NISMO Leaf was built on the basis of a carbon fiber monocoque and is 35 centimeters flatter than the series Leaf. The ground clearance fell from 16 to 6 centimeters and the track width was widened by 17 centimeters. Because, in principle, nothing was taken over from the series Leaf, apart from the electric motor and the batteries and otherwise only packed what a racing car really needs, the weight sank to less than 900 kilograms.
The entry via the wide carbon fiber sill and through the safety cell is easier than expected and that, although I had really big concerns at the beginning: My figure cannot really be described as sporty. It was especially tight in the full bucket seat. I've never sat in a vehicle so squeezed together. The seat was already pushed back completely, and yet, I would have liked to have the pedals a little further away and the steering wheel a little closer to me. But well - there shouldn't be a big trip waiting for me - the route from Castelloli is only 4,2 kilometers long.
Tied with a four-point belt and possibly inextricably linked to this vise-like bucket seat, it should start - slowly out of the dark box into the shine of the Catalan sun.
No power assistance for the steering and no ABS for the brakes - and what was even more obvious: No motorsport noise. Even if the Renn-Leaf has to do without any insulation material for weight reasons, the noise level is unusually low. You feel as if you are wrapped in cotton wool and, as a racing car novice, you are happy about this easy “start”. Other racing cars like to impress and scare newcomers to the cockpit with an aggressive clutch. But there is no gearbox in the Leaf and therefore no clutch. Starting is like driving off with a car scooter at the fair. Simply step on the right pedal and the e-racer hums off.
At the end of the pit lane, I press the right pedal - the electric motor accelerates the LEAF RC without wasting time, as if pulled on a rubber band onto the start and finish straight.
NO brake booster! The instructor on the passenger side warns me - he recommends that I “test” the brakes and I remember the effect of the brake booster, which is missing as well as an ABS control device and hammer a little too hard on the brake pedal - the tires scream Help and at the same time about grip and blue smoke rises briefly from the wheelhouses - I immediately release the brake and think about whether my instructor is angry with me - but he only nods briefly and shows me with a wave of his hand that I am now juice again on the electric motor.
The reactions of the chassis to my steering commands are straightforward and are implemented directly and without any queries, the Nismo Leaf looks taut, but is tuned soft enough for the race track to get feedback from the chassis before the wheels lose their cornering. Under load, this electric racing car cannot be persuaded to lose its grip on the rear axle. The 18 inch wheels with the Bridgestone sports tires in size 225/40 are reliable partners for this trip - the only thing that the mid-engined racer does not like is load changes due to its slightly rear-heavy weight distribution!
Since I don't know more about the racetrack in the Catalan hinterland than the few meters I have in front of me, it is difficult to judge at which point Nismo Leaf RC would reach its limits - after just one lap, the short adventure of the electric racing car is already over for me and I have to turn back into the pits.
In the end, however, I am richer by two or three experiences:
- A racing car can also provide motorsport pleasure with an electric motor
- The Leaf NISMO RC is not remote controlled, but RC stands for "Racing Competition"
- And ..
... I urgently need to do sport again, have a few more evenings with Chips & Cola on the couch and I would not have had the pleasure of being able to drive the Leaf Nismo over the track!