It’s been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of seeing Nissan’s mighty Bladeglider in action and we’re glad to see a return this week at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed.
The all-electric BladeGlider prototype showcases Nissan’s most cutting-edge zero emission technology and innovative automotive design. Offering a glimpse into the future of sports cars, this eye-catching vehicle will be unleashed on the iconic Goodwood Hillclimb during the first three days of the event, thrilling festival-goers with the sheer power of its 100 percent electric powertrain. On the final day of the show, BladeGlider will be out on the Goodwood circuit offering select media a rare opportunity to take part in some of its first pan-European drives.
In between runs, BladeGlider will be on static display in the Paddock, allowing visitors to get an up close look at this, the future of performance cars, which embodies Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility vision of how cars should be driven, powered and integrated into society.
Ponz Pandikuthira, Vice President Product Planning, Nissan Europe, said: “As a pioneer of the electric vehicle movement, Nissan wants to get people excited about the future of zero-emission technology and the Nissan BladeGlider does just that.”
“The BladeGlider has been developed to bring fun, torque, efficiency and high-performance styling to the fore. Goodwood has been a world-famous showcase for many an iconic sports car over the years, so we could think of no better place to bring the BladeGlider out to play, demonstrating the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision in action.”
After two years of work on design, engineering and development, Nissan BladeGlider has evolved further into an exciting, real-life study into the potential of advanced EV performance. BladeGlider epitomises Intelligent Mobility, a philosophy to make its cars more exciting by redefining how they are driven, powered and integrated into society.
The demonstration models feature an advanced chassis configuration with a narrow front track and wider rear track for optimum aerodynamic efficiency and handling stability.
High-waisted, rear-hinged dihedral doors provide a dramatic entry and exit to the cabin. The open roof of BladeGlider is reinforced with an integrated roll-over protection structure, providing the exhilaration of an open-topped race car with the safety of a coupé.
Wheel-mounted controls for BladeGlider’s systems feed into an advanced display showing speed, state of battery charge, regeneration mode and torque map. Flanking the central display are two screens, with the images of rear-view cameras mounted just behind the front wheels. An alternative to door-mounted mirrors, this dual screen design improves the aerodynamic efficiency of BladeGlider. The driver sits in arrowhead formation slightly in front of two passengers, who enjoy extended legroom. The view for all occupants is panoramic, thanks to the seamless cockpit windscreen.
Power is 100 percent electric, with exceptional powertrain performance delivered by Nissan’s technical partner for the BladeGlider project, UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering. Maximum speed of the demonstration models is in excess of 190km/h*, with 0-100km/h taking less than 5 seconds*. The rear wheels’ drive is provided by two 130kW electric motors – one for each wheel.
The system features torque vectoring, controlling the torque delivered to the driven wheels, improving the handling even further. With torque vectoring, if the car starts to under-steer, it automatically sends more torque to the outside wheel to restore the handling balance.
Designed to add to the driving experience rather than govern it, the torque vectoring systems has three settings: off, agile and drift mode.
Power is supplied by a high performance five module lithium-ion 220kW battery. Bespoke cooling systems have been developed for both the battery and the motors.
The interior of the BladeGlider reflects the vehicles’ sporting intentions, with four point safety harnesses for each occupant. The seats offer exceptional support to sides and legs of the driver and passengers. The seats are trimmed in a highly tactile blend of fabric and epoxy resin coating, resulting in a tough and grippy material that has the effect of comfortably adhering occupants securely in place.
Key specifications:
| Top speed | > 190 km/h (115 mph)* |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h (62 mph) | < 5 seconds |
| Power | 200 kW (268hp) |
| Torque | 707Nm |
| Weight | 1,300kg |
| Length | 4,300mm |
| Width | 1,850mm |
| Height | 1,300mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,800mm |
*Figures recorded by Williams Advanced Engineering
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