If you are not familiar with the Nissan LEAF it was one of the first fully electric vehicles to hit dealers around the world. Then it became the first all electric vehicle to be available in all 50 states. Today, the Nissan LEAF will also be known as the fastest car in reverse.
That's right - stunt driver Terry Grant piloted the Nissan LEAF up the 1.16-mile Goodwood hill climb course in England in just one minute and thirty seven seconds - and he did it in reverse. To put this in perspective, when the LEAF completed the course in the more traditional manner (facing forward), it took one minute and six seconds, while the current record holder is a Formula One car that did it in forty six seconds.
It's worth noting, when Terry first attempted to set the record, he did so in two minutes, six seconds. But that simply wasn't good enough - so he tried it again the next day, and again the next day, shaving an amazing half-a-second off his official time for the Guinness Book of World Records. His average speed? 55 miles an hour.
How was he able to go so fast in reverse? Well first, because the electric motor sends all of the power directly to the wheels, in every sense, it should be able to go as fast when in reverse as it does when it's in drive. Second, the low center of gravity thanks to the location of the batteries, keeps it very stable at high speeds. And last, there's usually a speed limiter on the car when it's in reverse, but Nissan removed it for Terry.
Before the race, Terry commented on his blog, "The LEAF Reverse Record isn't going to be easy...I'd prefer to do it on a nice straight and level strip of tarmac rather than on Lord March's drive. The hill not only climbs, but is also full of twists, turns, and obstacles."1
After the race, his only complaint was that of an achy neck. But, he applauded the LEAF's performance, saying "I had a great car at my disposal."2
While we don't recommend driving everywhere in reverse, we think the point here is pretty clear: even though it's not powered by a big V8 that makes a lot of noise, doesn't mean the LEAF isn't as fun to drive. Give it a spin to see for yourself! Jim Johnson Nissan is located at 2200 Scottsville Road Bowling Green, KY 42104, and a member of our team is always happy to answer any of your questions, arrange a test drive, and provide you with more details about any of the new Nissan models in our showroom.
Sources:
-1http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/nissan-leaf-electric-car-backward-record_n_1643742.html
-2http://www.autoworldnews.com/articles/1891/20120702/nissan-leaf-fastest-car-reverse.htm