Nissan reveals 88 pound 400 hp engine

Nissan and NISMO, which is its motor sport partner, have revealed a 1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine that puts out an incredible 400 horsepower and weighs just 88 pounds. They plan to use it in their 2014 ZEOD RC electrified race car, which will compete in the Garage 56 experimental entry in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. NISMO chief Shoichi Miyatani is shown in the above picture actually holding the engine! In addition to its 400-horsepower peak power rating, the engine, code-named the DIG-TR, also develops a maximum 280 pound-feet of torque - numbers that make it almost comparable with some of today's V-8 engines still on the market.

At a ratio of 4.5 horsepower per pound, the new engine even has a better power-to-weight ratio than the new turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 engines to be used in Formula One this season. In the ZEOD RC, the engine will form part of an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Nissan says the driver will be able to switch between electric power and gasoline power, and the batteries will be charged via regenerative braking. Both the electric and gasoline powerplants run through the same five-speed gearbox that transfers power to the ground via Michelin tires. The ZEOD RC will undergo an extensive test program over the next four months prior to it making its race debut at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours on June 14-15. Importantly, lessons learned from the development of the revolutionary race car will be used in the development of Nissan’s planned entry into the top LMP1 category of the World Endurance Championship, which the automaker today has confirmed will take place in 2015. Of course, as you might imagine, some of the knowledge gained will probably also be seen in Nissan road cars of the future.