Nissan BladeGlider: DeltaWing / ZEOD-RC For The Streets

[chaozbandit]

From this:

 

To this:

 

Nissan's at it again. Although this may not please everybody in the aesthetics department, you have to look beyond that before you can appreciate it as more than just a collection of parts. First off, it shares a lot of design elements with various other cars; it may be just a concept now, but it clearly pays homage to the iconic McLaren F1 in terms of the 3-seater layout; the glass / open cockpit partially links back to the KTM Xbow (after safety homologation rules made cockpit protection mandatory). But the biggest, most important detail of the BladeGlider is in it's powertrain. I mean comeon, this is Nissan we're talking about! If you've been following them for the last few weeks, you can probably predict what I'm about to tell you.

 

Nissan's latest few vehicle announcements have all been related to releasing electrically assisted and full-electric power systems; with the recent announcement that the next generation GT-R (R36) being a gas-electric hybrid (aimed at performance, not efficiency), one can pretty much assume this to be a trend moving forward. The BladeGlider is no exception, featuring an electric powertrain derived from uplines such as the ZEOD-RC that will race in next year's Le Mans 24 hours and the current Leaf NISMO RC. Electric Vehicles are the way to go. No statements regarding performance have been made to date.

 

For those who are wondering why Nissan is pursuing a triangle-ish vehicle layout, I can finally offer a quick and decent explanation. It's simple really: by redistributing various bits and pieces, the DeltaWing concept is able to achieve equal or better performance as a traditional layout car, with the advantage of being more efficient aerodynamically. By centering the occupants and drivetrain in the mid / rear-mid section, you create a car that is very stable in corners with a very low CoG (Center of Gravity). Also, buy creating a wider rear track and having reinforced suspension that distributes more G-force and load (through larger surface area), you create a vehicle that handles very stiffly and with very little roll. This also increases rear stability and shifts the car to a more natural oversteer state, which is easier to control and modulate compared to one that naturally wants to understeer. By using a smaller from track, it permits the use of smaller front tires thereby increasing efficiency and sharpening cornering angles. The aerodynamics of a wing shaped body permit it to glide through the air very efficiently, thus enabling a relatively high top speed and quick bursts of acceleration (even quicker given the benefits of electric motors). The way that Nissan and it's engineers distribute load is fascinating given the level of performance and stability they're able to achieve (it may look funny and wrong at the same time, but clearly it works).

 

In short, think of it as a Caterham SuperLight style chassis with the suspension similar to that patented in Koenigsegg's Triplex system, and an EV powertrain. Only, the DeltaWing / ZEOD-RC carries one passenger and the BladeRunner can carry three. And is street legal. 

 

 

I've mentioned it before, but whether you like it or not, electric motorsports is a reality. With Formula-E coming very soon and electric racecars making headlines, it's exciting to think of the benefits that would trickle down to the consumer level (just think of what would happen if Tesla Motors partnered with one of these private teams). If you're still skeptical of how well an electric race car would perform, a wonderful team that goes by the name of Drayson (UK members rejoice) is here to prove you wrong. Meet the Lola / Drayson B12/69EV; essentially a Lola Prototype chassis (that has recorded wins in the past) that has been converted into a full electric car with staggering levels of performance, owned and run by none other than Lord Drayson. Currently the fastest electric race car in the world under 1,000 Kg in weight, topping out at 205 MPH. Approximately 850 HP from it's electric motors, 0-60 mph in 3.0s and 0-100 mph in just over 5.1s. For more information: (http://www.draysonracingtechnologies.com/projects/B12/project_article_B12.html)

 

I can't explain the Drayson B12/69EV better than Lord Drayson himself and Chris Harris so here:

 

Thoughts?

[TheSLSAMG]

Oh my, it's beautiful.

[wng_kingsley7]

Some call Batman and Robin someone is infringing on their designs.

They're not beautiful and are kinda not good looking sorry....

[helping]

Can't wait until I can scrape up enough money to buy an electric car. 

[chaozbandit]

UPDATE: Nissan "may" put the BladeGlider into production! Really exciting stuff, given they've previously announced a revival of the S-chassis line and the upcoming R36 GTR. The  BladeGlider is a very aerodynamic car, focused on low drag and high downforce in addition to it's EV powertrain. From Nissan:

 

When BladeGlider matures into a production car, it could be Nissan's first use of in-wheel motors. The in-wheel motors provide rear-wheel propulsion with independent motor management, while also contributing to freedom of upper body design and space-efficient packaging.

 

Despite Nissan's obsession with phallic shaped vehicles, I truly hope this one comes to market.

 

Sourc: http://jalopnik.com/holy-cow-nissan-might-put-the-bladeglider-into-product-1462136159

 

 

 

[techswede]

It's a really cool concept. And i followed the recent top gear deltawing build so i like it^^
Unfortunately concepts never really look as good when they get into production.

The interiour is cool as hell though.