LA 2008: Braille Battery Nissan Altima Hybrid time attack hot rod

On display at this year's LA Auto Show is a Nissan Altima Hybrid racecar aimed at pleasing the eco-radicals of California, and the folks over at Autoblog Green. The car was first released at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but the LA crowd is really more up its alley. This Altima is a direct result of the team at Braille Battery pairing up with Nissan North America and Universal Technical Institute. The "Hot Rod Hybrid," as it's called, is a construction aimed at competing in the new hybrid/electric class of the Redline Time Attack series. There are also plans to give it a run in the 2009 Cannonball Run/One Lap of America event. We know the car will be in good hands, too. Driver Blake Fuller is experienced with both front- and rear-wheel-drive vehicles, as exemplified by his finishes in the Pike's Peak hill climb and Formula D drifting events.

The Braille Battery Nissan Altima Hybrid is constructed with great attention to detail. The green eco-friendly DuPont paint initially catches your eye, but the best part can be found once the car passes by you. The exhaust outlets are formed out of leaf silhouettes. No environmentally conscious element on this vehicle is left unturned, even the race seats are a new product from Sparco containing recycled materials. The roof is also topped with battery recharging solar cells. To help the car be competitive on the racetrack, the internal combustion engine is tuned to run on E85 ethanol while being boosted by a Vortech electric supercharger. All in all, it is an intriguing experiment. We look forward to seeing how the car fairs under the wear and tear of many Time Attack battles. More details can be found in the press release after the jump. Also be sure to take a gander at the gallery below for SEMA shots provided by Braille Battery, along with those we captured in LA.

BRAILLE BATTERY TO DEBUTE "HOT ROD HYBRID" RACE CAR IN NISSAN NORTH AMERICA

Las Vegas – Nov 4th – Braille Battery revealed today an exciting collaboration with Nissan North America to create a "Hot Rod Hybrid" that will utilize the Nissan Altima Hybrid. This Hybrid race car is for use in the newly formed Hybrid/electric class in the Redline Time Attack Series and the Cannonball Run/One Lap of America race in April 2009. The car was built in partnership with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and was painted in eco friendly DuPont paint by East Ridge High School located in Clermont, FL. It utilizes forward thinking products including no-waste ECO 2009 Sparco racing seats, Power Film flexible solar panels, Braille hybrid racing battery and energy conserving Yokohama tires and Stillen aero body paneling.

"We were very honored that Nissan North America chose to select our battery company to build and power this forward thinking race car", said Brand Manager Ray Ferriera for Braille Battery. "Braille has established a history of providing batteries to start race cars. This project will start a new category of race car that has so many exciting possibilities. The Braille Battery Nissan Altima Hot Rod Hybrid embodies all the concepts that are built into every one of our batteries from lightweight reliable engineering to conserving and recycling materials. We partnered with many aftermarket manufacturers to inspire them to think about the future of racing and our impact on the environment. Many companies have stepped forward already and are represented on the vehicle and many more are showing positive interest here at the SEMA show to get involved. Braille is very aware that to have a future in racing you must first have a future."

Braille's past racing projects have led to the development of their lightweight carbon fiber racing batteries for competition and consumer sales. Braille supplies batteries for teams in NASCAR, American Le Mans, Formula Drift, Open Wheel, Drag Racing, and many others. Braille's patented carbon fiber batteries are becoming the new trend for original equipment usage in performance production vehicles. Blake Fuller, the driver of the Hot Rod Hybrid and owner of Braille Battery continues this thought, "Throughout history, racing has resulted in the development of new technology of future passenger cars. The success of this collaborative project will help to launch a revolution in Hybrid technology and the way Hybrids are perceived by consumers and aftermarket parts manufacturers. We hope to provide the best solution not just in starting batteries, but also in the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle industries."

Specifications and Performance

Nissan Altima Hybrid – Braille Battery "Hot Rod Hybrid" Race Car
Weight 2970.5 pounds (3485 stock)
"Hot Rod Hybrid" System: 2.5 Liter Inline 4 Cylinder – Ethanol E85 Fuel Permanent Magnet AC Synchronous – Braille Battery Powered
"Hot Rod Hybrid" Horsepower* 440 HP
Modifications – Ethanol E85* Vortech Electric Supercharger DCHSEO-P1
Modifications – Electric Drive* Braille Battery Carbon Racing Pack – Phase 1 Experimental
Horsepower Peak – Ethanol E85* 270 HP @ Crank / 270 @ Crank - Estimated
Torque – Electric* 240 lb/ft @ 0 – 1500 rpm, Voltage 650 Volt Max
Battery Charging Regeneration Technology, Solar Panel Charging System
Transmission Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission
Chassis Unitized body construction with TIG Welded 6 Point Racing Cage
Suspension BC Racing Aluminum Coil Over Suspension, Stillen Sway Bar
Brakes Wilwood Lightweight Vented Disk w 4-channel ABS
Seats Sparco "ECO2009" Made from waste materials, FIA Approved
Steering Wheel Sparco 360 Suede Wheel
Wheels Front/Rear: 18 x 9 Enkei Lightweight LF-10 Rims
Tires Front/Rear: 255/40 18" Yokohama Low Rolling Resistance Neova High Performance Tires
Acceleration Quarter Mile* 12.9 sec. @ 109.2 mph estimated
Lateral Acceleration* 1.02 g
Braking: 60-0* 97 feet
Racing Fuel Economy* 35 laps at Sebring vs. 20 Laps at Sebring for Non-Hybrid
* Unverified Data. Information Calculated on Individual Manufacturers Specifications

Project Partners

APR Performance Carbon Fiber Splitter
BC Suspension Coil Over Suspension
Braille Battery Design & Production of Altima Braille B106C Battery, Braille Hybrid Carbon Battery Pack
Composite Envisions Complete Carbon Fiber Composite Supply
DuPont Low VOC Paint – Environmentally Safer
DCW Race Fabrication Vehicle Race Preperation - Special Leaf Design Exhaust
East Ridge High School Auto Body Students Painted Vehicle
Enkei Lightweight Racing Wheels LF-10 Model
Ethanol / Epic KL Energy Corp Ethanol Racing Fuel
Nissan North America Altima Hybrid Vehicle
Power Film Solar Flexible High Rate Power Solar Panels
Sparco USA Special Edition "Eco2009" - Made From Excess Production Materials
Stillen Aerodynamic Body Kit, Rear Sway Bar Upgrade
Universal Technical Institute Student Education Involvement for Build of Vehicle
Vortech Electric Supercharger System
VIS Racing Lightweight Carbon Fiber Hood
Wilwood Brakes Lightweight Racing Rotors and Calipers
Xpel Headlight Treatment
Yokohama Tires Neova High Performance Tires – Low Rolling Rate

[Source: Braille Battery]