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Panoz unveils a concept version of its arrow-shaped road car
Panoz's years-long vision of an arrow-shaped road car is finally coalescing into something tangible. The automaker has unveiled a real-world concept version of the car, the DeltaWing GT, that shows that the idea isn't far-fetched. Despite Panoz's ambitions, it doesn't have the lowest drag you can get in a car (even a Mercedes CLA250 sedan is slicker). However, the company previously promised highway efficiency of 74 miles per gallon or more -- this could be one of the few gas-powered sports cars that doesn't require frequent top-ups. There's still a huge gap between this and a production-quality DeltaWing that you could drive around town, but the prototype represents a crucial step forward.
Panoz wants an all-electric, arrow-shaped car racing at Le Mans
Panoz's arrow-shaped DeltaWing car concept technically hit the race track last year when Nissan's ZEOD RC prototype participated in Le Mans, but it wasn't exactly a dream come true. Nissan was no longer part of the DeltaWing program at that point, and the ZEOD RC completed just a few laps -- only one of which was under electric power. The automaker isn't deterred, however. It's planning to field an all-electric DeltaWing racer at Le Mans, and it intends to go the full 24 hours. Not that this will be easy. The planned swappable battery would only let the EV run for 50 minutes per charge, so Panoz could replace power packs 29 times during the event unless it takes advantage of weight savings to load up on extra batteries. As it stands, Le Mans already has racers in the experimental Garage 56 class lined up through 2017 -- Don Panoz and company can afford to take their time getting it right.
The dream of an arrow-shaped road car still lives
Don't give up hope for the arrow-like car of your childhood fantasies just because Nissan has shelved its BladeGlider EV -- you may get your wish after all. DeltaWing (which is backed by motorsports giant Don Panoz) has filed for two patents on two "street car" designs that would bring that sci-fi wedge shape to a road near you. The first (above) is effectively a civilian version of DeltaWing's race car that would undoubtedly be eye-catching, if not exactly practical for backing out of a parking space. Another (below) is much more viable, with relatively subtler looks and such radical concepts as rear windows.
Nissan's ZEOD RC prototype racer completes first all-electric lap at Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (check after the break for details on how to watch, for free) hasn't even started yet and already history has been made. During warmups, Nissan wheeled its ZEOD RC prototype race car around the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe track running only on battery power, a first. ZEOD stands for "Zero Emissions On Demand" with the car squeezing a 1.5-liter three cylinder engine that produces 400hp, two electric motors and the regenerative breaking of a Leaf RC into a frame similar to the DeltaWing prototype that raced at Le Mans before. Did we mention that it has no rear-view mirrors? Ray Harroun would be appalled. Update: Unfortunately the ZEOD RC's time in the actual race was quite brief, as it succumbed to a suspected transmission issue after just 5 laps around the circuit. Nissan plans to take the experience and include it in their LM P1 race car next year, the GT-R LM Nismo.
