Nismo Offers To 'Chip' Your Leaf Electric Car For Better Performance

While nobody will ever accuse the first-generation Nissan Leaf of being a sports car, a few magazines and test drivers have shown that some small modifications can make a big difference on this little EV. NISMO, Nissan’s in-house performance shop, is offering Japanese customers suspension and motor control modifications that make the Leaf a sportier version of itself.

The new NISMO Performance Package improve everything from aerodynamics to acceleration, starting with a more aero-friendly bodykit. The bodykit can be had in either fiberglass or carbon fiber (for $7,700) that adds a new front and rear fascia, side skirts, and a carbon fiber spoiler. Buyers can also opt for lightweight aluminum wheels for $450 a pop. Add to that an $1,100 suspension package and you have a much more aggressive-looking Leaf.

But the best bang for your buck is the $1,400 Sport Reset package, which tweaks the motor control module to deliver more driving performance and range. How it does that, and exactly how many extra miles the NISMO package eeks out of the Leaf, we aren’t told. But for $1,400 bucks, we’ll take what we can get. Nissan still isn’t selling its rear-drive, race-only version of the Leaf, so this will have to hold us over for now.

No word on if the NISMO Performance Package will make it stateside. Keep your fingers crossed though.

Source: Green Car Reports