Do you remember the 2013 Lamborghini Egoista? That very futuristic-looking single-seater V10 powered supercar, finished in jet fighter grey with an orange canopy that tilted upward, hinged at the front to unveil a cockpit-style seating possible with a very special steering wheel, only one of these Egoista was ever built, and it seems Nissan kept that idea in mind when they created their latest concept car: the Ariya Single Seater.
We’ve already seen images of the Nissan Ariya, an all-electric SUV based on the EV platform shared between Nissan, Mitsubishi, and the French-based Renault (remember the Nissan Qashqai is called the Rogue in the USA, but it’s a Renault Kadjar in Europe with some different styling), the Ariya will be available with either one or with two electric motors, hence in either 2WD or 4WD version, with the top of the line bringing a total power output of nearly 400 hp, but still have a range of 400 km (250 miles), there is a 243 hp version with an extended range of 500 km (310 miles).
Sadly, due to the shortage of semi-conductors, the launch of the new Nissan Ariya SUV in Europe and the United States has been postponed into 2022, but that didn’t keep Nissan from unveiling this exciting Ariya Single Seater Concept, taking the SUV’s powertrain and fitting it into a race-derived chassis, turning the family SUV into a monospace performance prototype.
Presented at the Nissan Futures event, the senior VP for global design Alfonso Albaisa was joined by Juan Manuel Hoyos, Nissan global marketing
divisional general manager for brand and engagement to show what the future of Nissan could look like in terms of all-electric performance cars, and while some design queues from the SUV can be found on this low and wide supercar, you won’t be able to fit a child seat inside this gold and black finished concept.
“We are delighted to present the Nissan Ariya Single Seater Concept from our Nissan Futures event,” said Hoyos. “At Nissan, we dare to do what others don’t. With this concept, we want to showcase the high-performance potential of the Ariya’s powertrain in a motorsports-inspired package that not only hints at the design and styling of the road car that inspired it, but that also demonstrates a new and efficient EV performance language. Acting as a testbed for future technological evolution, this project can help bring excitement from the road to the race track, and also demonstrate Nissan’s expertise in transferring knowledge and technology from the race track to the road.”
The front design of the Ariya Single Seater Concept nicely integrates the ‘V’ shape found on the current road car design, but this time it’s illuminated, while the sides, which emphasize the use of carbon fiber, take the overall panel design of the Ariya SUV to the extreme, overall this concept seems to be ultra-aerodynamic, almost shaped by the wind itself.
Nissan sits at the cutting edge of EV research and design, their entry into the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship does help as an inspiration of cars like this Single Seater Concept, and while no specifications have been published on this concept, they do state it’s the two-motor setup, so let’s assume they have taken the most powerful variant, the 395 hp one, with the all-wheel-drive inside a lightweight, single-seater design … this one-off will be quick off the line, and utterly fast on the straight-line.
“Nissan competes in Formula E not only to race on the track but also to support the development of compelling electric vehicles for customers,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s global motorsports director. “Our EV programs inform our Formula E program and vice versa, allowing for road-to-track technology transfer as well as track-to-road. The Nissan Ariya Single Seater Concept explores the combination of the all-electric powertrain, dual motors, and revolutionary all-wheel-drive system of the Ariya with a pure single-seat racing chassis – a powerful demonstration of just how thrilling electric vehicles could be.”
