Nissan is on a roll as of late and there is no reason to think what they have built here is too weird or unusual. The racing world has been rocked by economic hardships and fuel prices making it forced to stay relevant in a new world where wasting excessive fuel is scorned. First we saw diesel-power and then ethanol burners, eventually regenerative braking systems and hybrids started making waves but the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC is a progressive and funky race car concept.

For those of you in the loop, yes you saw this car back at the New York Auto Show in April of last year. However, Canucks haven't seen it up close until now. Behold the mighty plug-in racer in a very elaborate centre-stage display at the Nissan booth inside the Montreal Auto Show. While it looks fast standing still, we were much happier to see it whipping around LeMans back in June.

By the numbers, the car sounds like a blast to drive. It is 170mm wider and nearly 25mm longer proportions that are exacerbated by its minimal ground clearance of only 60mm. The Nismo RC has a carbon fiber body and is under 1000 kg (2,068 pounds) making it around 40 per cent lighter than your average LEAF. It packs 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and its lithium-ion pack can reach an 80 per cent charge state in just 30 minutes but will only last around 20!