Adrian@TORQEN Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo produces 400 horsepower from a 40kg engine More power per kilo than a Formula 1 engine New technical partnership with Total lubricants revealed LONDON – Nissan will not only break new ground with the unique electric power plant aboard the Nissan ZEOD RC at Le Mans this year, but the accompanying internal combustion engine is set to revolutionize standards of performance and efficiency. The Nissan ZEOD RC will become the first entry at Le Mans to complete a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe under nothing but electric power in June. A single lap of each stint (a fuel "stint" lasts approximately one hour) will be electric powered. Then, the new Nissan DIG-T R 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine will take over. The incredibly small engine weighs only 40 kilograms (88 pounds) but produces an astonishing 400 horsepower. The base engine is only 500 mm tall x 400 mm long x 200 mm wide (19.68" x 15.74" x 7.78"). While the engine is technically too heavy to take as carry-on luggage on a plane, it would easily fit inside the luggage guides seen at major airports around the world. Revving to 7,500 rpm, the Nissan DIG-T R produces 380 Nm of torque. At a ratio of 10 horsepower per kilogram, the new engine actually has a better power-to-weight ratio than the new engines to be used in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship this year. With the entire concept of the Nissan ZEOD RC focusing heavily on downsizing and efficiency, Nissan turned to new lubricants partner Total to help develop the engine. The French lubricants manufacturer has worked closely with Nissan engineers to develop fuel and lubricants to maximize the potential of the engine. The Nissan ZEOD RC will occupy "Garage 56" at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, an additional entry reserved by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest for new and ground breaking technologies never previously seen at the classic French endurance event. Lessons learned from the development of the revolutionary racecar will also be used in the development of Nissan's planned entry into the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2015. "Our engine team has done a truly remarkable job with the internal combustion engine," said Darren Cox, Nissan's Global Motorsport Director. "We knew the electric component of the Nissan ZEOD RC was certainly going to turn heads at Le Mans, but our combined zero emission on demand electric/petrol powerplant is quite a stunning piece of engineering. Nissan will become the first major manufacturer to use a three-cylinder engine in major international motorsport. We're aiming to maintain our position as industry leaders in focusing on downsizing. Lessons learned from the development of the engine will be seen in Nissan road cars of the future. "Our aim is to set new standards in efficiency in regards to every aspect of the car: powertrain, aerodynamics and handling. For the powertrain, we have worked closely with the team at Total to not only reduce friction inside the engine but within all components of the powertrain. Friction is the enemy of horsepower, and tackling that has been one of the efficiency targets we have concentrated on heavily." After extensive dyno testing, the Nissan ZEOD RC hit the track for the first time last week with both the electric and internal combustion engines in place. Both the gasoline and electric powerplants run through the same five-speed gearbox that transfers power to the ground via Michelin tires. "Being chosen by a car manufacturer as a technological partner to achieve a demonstration of innovation is always a source of pride, especially on this legendary race – 24 Hours of Le Mans. It drives our researchers to find solutions and get the most out of the technical specifications as well as the fuel economy properties that our TOTAL QUARTZ lubricants range provides to all passengers cars," said Philippe Girard, Scientific Delegate for Total. The Nissan ZEOD RC will undergo an extensive test program over the next four months prior to it making its race debut at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours on June 14-15. </p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensh65 Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Saw this on facebook, woooow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmillions Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 That's only 50hp more than my 350z with my aftermarket exhaust and 'diffuser' and no remap, I'll match it with a new air filter and remap On a serious note interesting stuff, especially if the reliability allows for mainstream use ( in some de/tuned form) in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Very impressive engine & stats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEUS Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Looks a lot like a bike engine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMLNJ Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 These little engines will make ours look like American mussel from the 60s, 5 ltrs with 200bhp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 wonder if keyser at the zed shed can fit two of these in a 350z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Cool as. Wonder what it sounds like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian@TORQEN Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Wonder what it sounds like. Wooooooooooosh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350 Russ Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 it would be cool if they could make a v6 out of 2 of these for the next zed. it will never happen but would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 it would be cool if they could make a v6 out of 2 of these for the next zed. it will never happen but would be cool. A 3 litre V6 boosted to 800 bhp? Yes please!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 it would be cool if they could make a v6 out of 2 of these for the next zed. it will never happen but would be cool. Repost........ wonder if keyser at the zed shed can fit two of these in a 350z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_2424 Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Really looking forward to seeing this at Le Mans this year!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren-B Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Imagine putting something like this in a Caterham based platform. fun fun fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r37 Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 anyone else wonder how laggy that would be? N/A >> turbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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