The fact that Nissan is going to make the Bladeglider into an actual production car already has us head over heels in love with the thing, but this statement has us both drooling with excitement and extremely skeptical:
"Extensive testing on the racetrack with race drivers behind the wheel, the Nissan BladeGlider has the potential to be the best handling production car in the world."
At least the explaination makes sense, but we're going to have to wait until we've driven the thing to see how it feels.
"While traditional performance enthusiast may scratch their respective heads wondering how a car with such a narrow front track can take corners; the answer is relatively simple.
The narrow front track allows less weight to be placed on the front wheels. While some say that more weight on the front tires equals better grip, the complete opposite is actually true.
Sure, with super wide tires, extra load may result in more grip, but this is not an efficient solution, nor is it always true. For example, front-heavy cars are prone to excessive understeer – the loss of grip at the front wheels, where the car does not turn as much as the steering demands. The thinner tires up front allow the BladeGlider to turn in crisply because only 30 percent of the car's total weight rests upon them. An added benefit is improved steering in terms of effort, feel and precision.
The wide rear track and wide rear tires also contribute to the BladeGlider's exceptional handling. By providing a stable and rigid foundation for the car, they allow the car's front tires to effectively point the nose of the vehicle in the right direction. Think of a sledge hammer and its handle. Put the hammer on the ground and move the handle in the desired direction. It can be done with relatively little effort because the head of the hammer is providing a stable foundation. This unique effect of the BladeGlider can be enhanced with torque vectoring (or an enhanced limited slip differential) that can be programmed into the in-wheel motors, allowing the rear tires to help point the car's nose."
We're pumped.
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[via Nissan]
