New Nissan Leaf Nismo revealed for Japanese market

Nissan has revealed the Leaf Nismo - the first version the electric car to receive attention from the Japanese brand’s motorsport arm.

Outside, the Leaf Nismo features a more aggressive body kit, including deeper bumpers, wider side skirts and a more aggressive rear diffuser, all finished with red highlights. A motorsport-inspired rear fog light sits low in the centre of the rear bumper.

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There’s further red trim on the black door mirrors, while the roof is optionally available in a contrasting black finish too. There are nine exterior colours to choose from in total.

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The Nismo rides on uprated suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in grippier tyres. The electric power steering receives a unique tune, and the standard car’s Intelligent Trace Control features a sportier bias.

Despite tweaks to the throttle mapping which aim to deliver a shaper response, the Nismo doesn’t get any more power than the standard Leaf. In other words, it makes 148bhp, and should cover the 0-62mph benchmark in around 7.9 seconds.

Flashes of red trim around the vents and starter button add an injection of sportiness inside. There’s further red stitching on the seats and part alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, as well as a red 12 o’clock marker.

Parts of the dash are finished in a carbon-effect trim, and there’s a gunmetal chrome effect finish for the drive selector.

The new model will go on sale on 31 July, but there’s just one problem: for now, it’s only available to buy in Japan.

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