Nissan’s Incredible 400hp 1.5-Litre 3-Pot Engine

Take a good look at the engine, because this, ladies and gents, is one hell of a machine. Nissan’s revolutionary DiG-T petrol engine displaces just 1.5 litres from three cylinders, weighs 40kg (88 pounds) and produces the same power figure as a 5.0-litre, E39 M5: that’s right, from 1.5 litres, Nissan’s squeezed 400hp.

The car this incredible little engine will power is Nissan’s unique ZEOD (meaning Zero Emissions on Demand) RC Le Mans racer, which will become the first car to complete a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe (8.47 miles) in electric mode only. The direct injection and downsized petrol engine (500mm tall, 400mm long, 200mm wide) will then power the ZEOD while the race car’s battery (which drives twin electric motors) is replenished using a regenerative braking system you’d find in a Nissan Leaf Nismo RC.

The ZEOD’s petrol engine will power the car up to speeds of around 185mph and is driven through a five-speed gearbox. The engine also produces 280lb/ft torque and revs to 7500rpm.