Last year Nissan showcased their hybrid ZEOD RC race car, which is intended to be introduced for Le Mans 24 Hours race this year. Now the Japanese automaker has revealed the details of the all-new engine that will make its debut in the Nissan ZEOD RC race car. The new engine is termed as DIG-T R and is a 3-cylinder, 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. This tiny little engine produces a whopping 400 BHP of power and an insane 380 Nm of torque. This 1.5-litre unit weighs only 40 kgs and one can also hold it in their hand, as seen on the pictures.
The new Nissan DIG-T R engine is very compact at 500 mm tall x 400 mm long x 200 mm wide. Nissan believes that this engine could easily fit inside the luggage guides seen at major airports around the world. This 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine can rev up to 7500 RPM. Nissan claims that this state of the art engine has a ratio of 10 HP per kg, which means that this engine has a better power-to-weight ratio compared to the engines used in FIA Formula 1 World Championship this year.
The Nissan ZEOD RC is a hybrid race car and the new DIG-T R turbo petrol engine is coupled to an electric motor. The hybrid powertrain on the ZEOD RC is mated to a 5-speed transmission. It will be the first racing model at Le Mans to finish an entire lap of the circuit under electric power alone. The Japanese automaker will introduce the technologies learnt while developing the new engine on their road cars in the future.
