Leaf Nismo RC (Japan, 2011)

For the 2011 New York International Auto Show Nissan decided to take its zero-emissions quest from the road to the track with a racing version of the LEAF.

The LEAF NISMO RC (Racing Competition) takes much of its DNA from its road-going counterpart, including the zero-emission powertrain which draws juice from a lithium-ion battery. This generates 107 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque which doesn’t sound like much for a racer, but unlike other competition car the LEAF NISMO RC has no tailpipe and no CO2 emissions. Great news for the environment, maybe not so much for race fans who probably aren’t so keen to watch completely silent motorsport.

Nissan say that the LEAF NISMO RC’s also contains the production cars quick charge feature which allows 80 percent of battery capacity to be reached with a 30 minute charge. Preliminary testing has revealed a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of 6.85 seconds and a top speed of 93 mph. This allows a run...