Nissan FF Hybrid sports car rumours
June 25, 2008 by George Skentzos
With the reign of the Japanese sports car well and truly on track to make a return, new rivalries are appearing such as the new Honda NSX is to the Nissan GT-R.
The most recent and unique addition to this bitter rivalry is Nissan’s new FF Hybrid sports car – with the Honda CR-Z squarely in its sights.
An entry-level coupe to slot into the Nissan range just below the FR, the 2+2 front-wheel drive FF coupe will feature a hybrid drivetrain, aiming to be both fuel efficient and a spirited drive.
It will be based on the existing Nissan ‘B’ platform as used on the Tiida, and follow on from new styling trademarks established on both the new Maxima and upcoming 370Z.
Lightweight aluminium panels are likely to be used extensively to keep weight below 1100kg, and its possible a flat bottom panel similar to that on the GT-R could be employed to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
It’s expected the FF coupe will be powered by a revised hybrid version of the HR15DE 1.5-litre four cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed DSG gearbox.
Source: 7Tune
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YUCK!!!! Caradvice- dnt even bother putting this garbage up…it just makes us all feel sick
looks like im skipping lunch :(
Hey Mohamad, I like to see what is coming up, and I reckon that the majority of other visitors to this site do too.
Not a great looking car, but I reckon the idea of a hybrid sports is a step in the direction of a true mass produced electric sportscar.
The styling is destined to be completely different but if the rumoured drivetrain is true, it isn’t going to be very good. It will be the same sort of performance as a Prius. What these carmakers need to do is disconnect the engine from the wheels and just have it driving a generator.
Put electric motors in each wheel and run the engine at optimum revs for greatest efficiency. It reduces the complexity of the entire setup. No gearbox needed, no driveshafts needed. Could probably use a smaller motor too, due to the focus on an optimum rev range rather than an all road performer. It opens up totally different packaging options.
I’m with Supercujo. Use a small turbine to keep the batteries charged (future-fuel-proof), and include some supercapacitors so you can kick the absolute bejesus out of it for 10-20 minutes without heat problems.
And RWD or 4WD. There’s no savings to be had in FWD if there’s no physical engine->wheel connection.
FF = Front engine, Front wheel drive
FR = Front engine, Rear wheel drive
2009 nissan maxima head light. Ugly those. I rather stick to my J31 Maxxi.
Not so sure about the hybrid technology really. I realy don’t think in its current guise it is really a green solution. Having watched Top Gear last nite with a Prius being driven flat out around the TG circuit being simply followed by an BMW M3. The prius returned 17mpg whilst the M3 returned 19mpg. Authenticated as well. Yes I know its not a true scientific comparison but a comnparison all the same.
Apparently this Nissan thing uses borrowed Toyotas prius technology. Ok I suppose
No Name
didn’t see the show but will be interesting to see if TG will be game enough to substitute the Prius for a Tesla EV – more appropriate comparo.
Have to say, if buyers of a hybrid sportscar must feel they’re saving the world whilst hooning about – just buy a Lotus Elise?
that TG test was prehaps the worst comparision I have ever seen. The show is purely for entertainment… factual it aint!
The Prius was driven flat out at full throttle – the whole advantage of the Pruis hybrid system is its fuel economy in the urban environment – stop start traffic. Its where the features like engine kill @ idle, electric only below 30km and only small ICE assist on light throttle.
Additionally the M3 was slipstreaming the Pruis the whole time – again the fuel economy benefit alone of that can negate the discrepancies
I really look forward to hybrid sport cars – the torque characteristcs of an electric motor has so much potential to make a stunning sports car!
gl nissan
Yes I’ve seen the TG test as well. Please note that whilst it was not meant to be the be-all and end-all of the conventional V’s hybrid test, what the test did do was:
1. Show that driving styles do make a massive difference to the economy of the car.
2. If you want to get to 0-60 Kph in 3 seconds buy a powerful one and drive it normally. If you drive like Miss Daisy buy a Hybrid. Otherwise if you drive the Hybrid hard you’ll use more fuel.
In my opinion it was a great comparison when you are looking at driving styles in comparison to the 2 types of cars tested.
Also I can’t believe the comment on slipstreaming! The M3 was not following an F1 car! At the speed the Hybrid was travelling there would have been no gain by following directly behind it.
What I would love to see though on test is the Telsa Roadster, fully electric – http://www.teslamotors.com/
With specs like 0-100 in 3.9 secs and the equivelent of 256 mpg I’d like to see that thing tested!
Hmmmm your wrong the prius engine kicks in at walking pace apparently.
Admittedly TG stunt was entertainment but i think relevant all the same. The prius and hybrids are just not really green. A green farce yes but not green.
I remember on another thread some time back most self professed know it alls ridiculed my hydrogen setup on my BF Falcon ute as cannot be! The only one who agreed with me was REALCARS and most others ignorant and very ill-informed!
As far as alternative fuels go, none are more radical than the idea of fueling your car with ordinary water. Japanese company Genepax have apparently developed an on-board system for cars that extracts the hydrogen from water held in a tank and sends the resultant gas to a fuel cell to be turned into electricity in a process that Genepax calls its “Water Energy System”, or WES, promising fuss-free (and fossil-free) motoring for the commute of the future.
One litre of water is supposedly enough to endow Genepax’s demonstrator vehicle with a one-hour endurance at speeds up to 80kph. It’s not voodoo, witchcraft or good ol’ Snake Oil™ that runs this thing though. Rather, it’s simple chemistry that enables Genepax’s water-fueled car to function. You see it’s not really water that’s the fuel: instead, it’s a bunch of metal hydride plates that stimulate hydrogen production in the water tank, plates that will eventually deplete and require replacement. Given the amount of energy required to manufacture these plates Genepax’s water-powered car could be a false economy, indirectly consuming more energy than it saves.
Of course that’s not so much of a problem if the energy needed to manufacture the plates is from a renewable source like the sun, wind, or a hamster wheel, but given the power industry’s current appetite for fossil fuels that’s not an entirely likely scenario. Still, it’s a noble effort on Genepax’s part to combat the looming oil crisis and one that may show promise if they can prove the technology works. After all, simply fueling up your car with water is a terribly convenient answer to the tricky problem of how the fuel infrastructure of the future is going to store, transport and distribute the volatile compressed hydrogen we’re all meant to be using 20 years from now. Unfortunately I have a sneaking suspicion that such a solution won’t be so popular with Big Oil.
Meanwhile I will stick to my hydrogen setup which gives me some 45% increase in efficiency with no negative impact on car power.
And as for others……enjoy paying huge bucks to fill up and still waffle on about gotta have HUGE power (with shyte economy). I LOL AT PEOPLE WHO FILL UP AT SERVOS!!!!!
Oh and my setup is LPG dedicated engine with hydrogen generator acting in tandem with LPG!