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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>It’s a common problem: You’re off to <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Le Mans</st1:place></st1:City> with your new 400
bhp engine and you discover that it won’t fit in the airplane's overhead
compartment. This week, Nissan showed off the answer to this traveler’s nightmare
with its ultralight DIG-T R 1.5 liter, three-cylinder petrol engine that is
small enough to fit in carry-on luggage and boasts a power-to-weight ratio
better than the engine of a Formula 1 racer.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>The new engine is the other half of a hybrid powerplant for
Nissan's Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car (<a
href="http://www.gizmag.com/nissan-latest-zeod-rc-japan/29438/" target="_blank">ZEOD
RC</a>), which is set to become the first entry to complete a lap of the
Circuit de la Sarthe at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Le Mans</st1:place></st1:City>
solely under electric power this June.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>The DIG-T R’s base engine is 500 mm tall x 400 mm long x
200 mm wide (19.68 x 15.74 x 7.78 in), but it puts out power like a fire hose
at 400 bhp (298 kW) and 380 Nm (280 ft-lb) of torque. Nissan points out though
this is small enough to fit inside the luggage guides found at check in, at 40
kg (88 lb), the DIG-T R is too heavy to be considered as a carry-on. That works
out to 10 bhp per kilo, which Nissan says is better than the new engines
approved for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship this year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3
color="#333333" face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
ProximaNova;color:#333333'><a
href="http://www.gizmag.com/nissan-zeod-rc-engine/30611/pictures#7"
target="_blank"><font color="#1e8dd7"><span style='color:#1E8DD7;text-decoration:
none'><img border=0 width=410 height=528 id="_x0000_i1029"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CF27EB.E938DF10"
alt="The DIG-T-R is small enough to fit in carry-on luggage"></span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>The engine is an example of how Nissan is approaching the ZEOD
RC with an eye towards reducing size while increasing efficiency. The ZEOD RC
is also part of an effort to develop a more efficient petrol/electric hybrid
engine that can switch on or off on demand.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>As part of the design strategy, both the petrol and electric
parts of the powerplant go through the same five-speed gearbox. However, Nissan
says that the real problem in developing the DIG-T R for the ZEOD RC was
cutting down friction, since the less of it there is, the less the engine needs
to deal with its consequences. To help with this, Nissan worked closely with
French lubricants manufacturer Total to come up with better fuels and
lubricants to take care of internal friction.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3
color="#333333" face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
ProximaNova;color:#333333'><a
href="http://www.gizmag.com/nissan-zeod-rc-engine/30611/pictures#5"
target="_blank"><font color="#1e8dd7"><span style='color:#1E8DD7;text-decoration:
none'><img border=0 width=530 height=353 id="_x0000_i1030"
src="cid:image002.jpg@01CF27EB.E938DF10" alt="The new engine powers the ZEOD RC"></span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>After the ZEOD RC finished dyno testing, Nissan took to the
track last week, where it tested both the electric and petrol components. It
will undergo further testing for the next four months, then in June it will
take part in the Le Mans 24 Hour, where it will occupy “Garage 56.”
which is reserved for new technology demonstrators by the Automobile Club de
l‘Ouest. The ZEOD RC will do one lap of each roughly hour-long fuel stint
of the competition using only electric power, then the DIG-T R will take over
for the rest of the run. Lessons from the ZEOD RC will be used in
Nissan’s entry in the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship
in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:16.5pt;background:white'><font size=3 color="#333333"
face=ProximaNova><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:ProximaNova;
color:#333333'>"Nissan will become the first major manufacturer to use a
three-cylinder engine in major international motorsport,” says Darren
Cox, Nissan's Global Motorsport Director. “We're aiming to maintain our
position as industry leaders in focusing on downsizing. Lessons learned from
the development of the engine will be seen in Nissan road cars of the future.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:PersonName
w:st="on"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Larry</span></font></st1:PersonName>
(wake me when the V6 is out) - <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cleveland</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></p>
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