You may think Nismo has had a lot of thumb-twiddling to do lately. With the dying days of the R35 upon us, there’s presumably not much more for them to do with that well-trodden platform, and the RZ34 Nismo Z has been out for a little while now. However, it’s been working away on its first electric car – the Nissan Ariya Nismo.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a trim for the Ariya with all the looks and none of the extra performance. Nismo has unlocked an extra 41bhp from the existing range-topping ‘E-40RCE’ dual-motor setup for a total of 429bhp. Torque remains the same, however, at the peak of 443 lb-ft.
Nissan says lessons have been taken from its Formula E efforts and has given the nod to that through a synthesized sound that aims to replicate the unmistakable high-pitched squeals the motors from those single-seaters offer. We’ll leave it to you to decide if that’s a good thing.
Chassis changes are said to be made, with each component said to have been tuned, though what exactly has changed isn’t detailed. It does ride 10mm lower than the regular Ariya, though.
You’ll spot the usual Nismo red lipstick on a slightly more aggressive body kit, with a new set of 20-inch aluminum wheels fitted in a bid for “superior stability and turn-in ability” as well as “enhanced cornering ability at high speeds.” A set of 255/45 R20 Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires comes as standard, too.
What isn’t detailed is how those figures and changes translate to numbers. We’d expect the regular dual-motor Ariya’s 0-62mph to dip from the 5.1-second figure of the regular car, though with top speed probably remaining at 124mph.
There is no word on the cost yet, either. It’ll almost certainly become the most expensive Nissan Ariya, with the current Evolve+ costing from £59,025. North of that would put it right on the toes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which, although a smaller car, will surely be too tempting if you’re specifically after a performance-focused EV.
