Nissan’s Formula E racer gets a kimono-inspired livery

Nissan unveiled this red, black and white livery for its battery-powered open-wheeled racers at its Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama, Japan, on Tuesday.

Drivers Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland return again this season. The veteran racers appear to the right of Michael Carcamo, Nissan’s global motorsports director. 

The new look is said to be inspired by kimonos — those formal, flowing and singularly beautiful gowns that have been part of Japanese tradition for hundreds of years.

Kimonos are said to be symbols of longevity and good luck — both useful attributes in motor racing.

Last season, the Nissan Edams squad finished the Formula E Championship in second place, notching the team’s first win in the New York City E-Prix and coming away with six pole positions.

The special kimono livery, revealed on the eve of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, replaces the predominantly silver-and-black look found on the team’s 2018-2019 racing cars.

According to Nissan senior vice president for global design, Alfonso Albaisa, the team’s new livery “celebrates our Japanese heritage and vibrant technology DNA.

“We used our iconic Nissan racing red, black and white colors layered diagonally in a kimono pattern, which creates a dynamic and powerful impression,” Albaisa said.

The new tri-color look will also adorn the company’s latest Leaf Nismo RC race car, the widebody performance version of the company’s production Leaf electric hatchback.

The sixth season of the all-electric Formula E street-circuit series kicks off this fall.

Last year, Nissan’s cars featured a novel two-motor powertrain. In advance of the new season, the FIA banned multi-motor tech, pushing Nissan to adopt a single-motor system.

Nissan was the only team to attempt a two-motor system, and thus the only team to be penalized by the sanctioning body’s new rules.

The 2019-2020 series will consist of 14 events in 12 cities on five continents, with host venues including Mexico City, Rome, Seoul, Jakarta, New York and London. Round one kicks off Nov. 22 in Diriya, Saudi Arabia.