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Nissan BladeGlider on sale within three years for less than $50,000

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• published: 30 Sep 2016
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https://www.facebook.com/AE86toyota/ Nissan will preview a future electric sports car based on the ZEOD RC Le Mans car at the Tokyo Motor Show this month. Although currently powered by a conventional electric motors, the über-efficient Nissan BladeGlider could also be the first production car to use in-wheel electric motors. The BladeGlider is not a far-flung flight of fancy from a company purely seeking publicity. It’s an electric sports car is set to cost well under $50,000 when it goes on sale within the next three years. You might be surprising to learn that it seats three, too, with a couple passenger seats set back either side of the driver, à la McLaren F1. A production version will sit below the $29,990 370Z in Nissan’s sportscar lineup, the company’s sales and marketing chief, Andy Palmer, confirmed to Autocar. The BladeGlider uses the same 107hp electric motor and battery pack, this time low-mounted towards the rear for more stability, as the Nissan LEAF. An especially low drag coefficient, as well as significant levels of downforce generated by the car’s carbon fibre underbody, will make the BladeGlider incredibly manoeuvrable, says Nissan. Although a prototype car exists, Nissan is yet to release any performance figures. If the company’s engineers can keep overall weight under 1,000kg, however, the BladeGlider’s power-to-weight ratio would be comparable to a Mazda MX-5. Factor in super-slippery aero and you’ve got a quick car on your hands. In design terms the V-shaped BladeGlider is heavily influenced by the hybrid ZEOD RC Nissan intends to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year. The wedge body and central seating position are particularly reminiscent of the racecar. “I think that the excitement of the racing car should be mirrored in the excitement of driving the road car,” says Ben Bowlby, the man behind the already iconic ZEOD RC. “I think there are elements we can bring back from the race track to make these future road cars more exciting, more fulfilling and give greater driving pleasure.” Inside, the BladeGlider features aircraft-inspired controls and the computers can display relief maps and atmospheric conditions to aid efficiency while driving. “BladeGlider was conceived around delivering a glider-like exhilaration that echoes its lightweight, downsized hyper-efficient aerodynamic form,” said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan’s senior vice president and chief creative officer. “This design is more than revolutionary; it’s transformational, applying our most advanced electric drive-train technology and racetrack-inspired styling in the service of a new dimension of shared driving pleasure.” Nissan has recently come in for criticism for not making its electric cars more exciting, particularly after failing to redesign the LEAF for the second generation. This is some riposte.