Against the backdrop of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Nissan is bringing a pair of BladeGlider prototypes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The vehicles represent the continued evolution of the BladeGlider concept car that made its debut at the 2013 Tokyo auto show.
Infamously cribbing its basic proof of concept from the DeltaWing race car?including all the legal drama you could want?the priapic BladeGlider’s design sports a front track that is far narrower than its rear as a means of improving aerodynamics. If you’re curious about how the basic principles of the design work, then be sure to give our explanation of the physics behind the DeltaWing a read.

In short, the BladeGlider is a model of efficiency. With lower aerodynamic drag, the three-seat electric vehicle is able to achieve wide-eyed performance using less energy and power than similarly quick sports cars. In the case of the BladeGlider prototype, a single 130-kW electric motor in each rear wheel work together to put 268 horsepower and more than 520 lb-ft of torque to the ground. At just under 2900 pounds, or more than 500 pounds heftier than a Mazda MX-5 Miata Club we tested last year, the BladeGlider prototype is no featherweight. Yet Nissan claims the open-topped prototype can run from 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds.
The BladeGlider isn’t simply a straight shooter, though, as Nissan notes the two-toned sports car includes a torque-vectoring system that automatically sends more ...