Damn... that Nismo version
[video=youtube;Soi_MI-jP7s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Soi_MI-jP7s[/video]
NISSAN IDX CONCEPT
Nissan's global vice president Andy Palmer promised fans that a response to Toyota's popular 86 coupe - its "mid-life crisis car" - would debut at this week's Tokyo Motor Show.
Here it is: the IDx concepts, revealed here in a racing Nismo trim, alongside a more road-focused 'Freeflow' design.
Both concepts are of course heavily inspired by Nissan's rich history of two-door models, including the hugely popular 510 Bluebird of the 60s and 70s, know here as the Datsun 1600.
There's a touch of the classic 'Hakosuka' Skyline coupe in the IDx's design, too. Really, you could sink hours into finding familiar features in this new concept's classic look.
In the case of the Nismo concept, there's also a colour scheme that will be instantly recognisable to fans, evoking memories of the legendary Team BRE 510 race car - badged as a Datsun back then, of course.
A set of large wide-open alloy wheels prop up each corner, surrounded by guards inspired by the bolt-on flares seen on racing cars of years past - and even today in some classes.
While the Nismo concept gets a decidely more modern headlight and tail-light designs, the Freeflow is all retro.
Four circular headlights hark back to classic sedans and coupes, and a silver insert panel is a clear nod to the old steel bumpers.
Even the paint job is a classic - just about every car in the 60s and 70s offered a tan, sand or beige option. (These days, the closest you'll get is a champagne, or 'premium beige' if you will... - Ed.)
But, despite its vintage styling, Nissan says it designed the IDx for 'Generation Z', a group it calls "digital natives". The generation born after 1990, drawing on feedback from younger fans in the creation of the IDx twins.
Buyer feedback will be a key decider, however. If you're keen on this slice of modernised history, get on the phone.
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It’s a brave man who can come out with barrels blazing and say that he thinks buyers of the Toyota 86 or Subaru BRZ are having a ‘midlife crisis’.
That’s exactly what Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said recently when referring to two of the hottest, most affordable sports cars to venture forth from Japan in a decade.
So can Nissan do any better? Apparently yes.
“You’ll see our answer to the midlife crisis at the Tokyo Motor Show. Except it won’t be for a midlife crisis,” added Palmer. “It’ll be aimed at young and middle-aged types alike.”
In a marketplace where Generation Z is losing interest in cars and car culture, Nissan is trying to generate some appeal and inject passion back into motoring with a radical new two door, rear wheel drive concept car, the IDx.
Nissan designers and conceptualists say that customer paradigms are changing significantly which means that a new style of car must be created to appeal to a changing customer base.
Trying to appeal to digital natives who value IT and social media networks as the new communication tools of the 21st Century is the key, says one designer.
The car has to be stylish, offer the right combination of social networking tools including Bluetooth, Internet and GPS satnav connectivity, and also drive well. But Nissan’s product planners realised that these features were not enough to create a car that catches the eye as well as the heart.
So, to fill in the blanks in this, its 80th anniversary, Nissan decided to delve back into its rich heritage of sports cars and race cars to find inspiration for such a car.
As chief designer Satoru Tai says, “We are talking about models like the Datsun 1600, Skyline and Laurel from the 1960s and '70s. That is where we sourced our inspiration.
"We conceived the IDx through direct interaction with Generation Z who seek a compact, minimalistic sedan-shaped coupe,” he said.
Boasting a low and wide stance, the IDx is actually a little smaller in wheelbase than the 86 and BRZ, explains Tai.
And a quick look at the IDx’s silhouette reveals these design slants. As an owner of a Datsun 1600 back in university, this writer can definitely see some 1600 influence in the IDx’s side profile. And while this design is fresh and new but with retro hints for young buyers, the overall design seems all too familiar yet appealing for buyers in their 40s who grew up watching 1600s and Skylines appear on the roads.
Tai went onto say that one other aspect of this concept that he thought important for young and mid-aged buyers alike would be a rear-wheel drive platform.
Nissan was being tight-lipped about the powertrain, but one engineer suggested that a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine generating around 110kW (150hp) would most probably find its way into the IDx’s engine bay.
To pluck at the heartstrings of all those who long for the “new,” but with a touch of nostalgia, Nissan will also be unveiling an IDx Nismo version draped in the company’s traditional racing colours and featuring bigger wheels and raunchy aeroparts and interior appointments.
If Nissan's Executive Vice President Andy Palmer has anything to do with this car, we could see the IDx in showrooms as early as 2016.
[video=youtube;Soi_MI-jP7s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Soi_MI-jP7s[/video]
NISSAN IDX CONCEPT
Nissan's global vice president Andy Palmer promised fans that a response to Toyota's popular 86 coupe - its "mid-life crisis car" - would debut at this week's Tokyo Motor Show.
Here it is: the IDx concepts, revealed here in a racing Nismo trim, alongside a more road-focused 'Freeflow' design.
Both concepts are of course heavily inspired by Nissan's rich history of two-door models, including the hugely popular 510 Bluebird of the 60s and 70s, know here as the Datsun 1600.
There's a touch of the classic 'Hakosuka' Skyline coupe in the IDx's design, too. Really, you could sink hours into finding familiar features in this new concept's classic look.
In the case of the Nismo concept, there's also a colour scheme that will be instantly recognisable to fans, evoking memories of the legendary Team BRE 510 race car - badged as a Datsun back then, of course.
A set of large wide-open alloy wheels prop up each corner, surrounded by guards inspired by the bolt-on flares seen on racing cars of years past - and even today in some classes.
While the Nismo concept gets a decidely more modern headlight and tail-light designs, the Freeflow is all retro.
Four circular headlights hark back to classic sedans and coupes, and a silver insert panel is a clear nod to the old steel bumpers.
Even the paint job is a classic - just about every car in the 60s and 70s offered a tan, sand or beige option. (These days, the closest you'll get is a champagne, or 'premium beige' if you will... - Ed.)
But, despite its vintage styling, Nissan says it designed the IDx for 'Generation Z', a group it calls "digital natives". The generation born after 1990, drawing on feedback from younger fans in the creation of the IDx twins.
And so the obvious question: will we see the IDx in showrooms? Nissan isn't saying yet, but it isn't writing off the idea, either.
Buyer feedback will be a key decider, however. If you're keen on this slice of modernised history, get on the phone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s a brave man who can come out with barrels blazing and say that he thinks buyers of the Toyota 86 or Subaru BRZ are having a ‘midlife crisis’.
That’s exactly what Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said recently when referring to two of the hottest, most affordable sports cars to venture forth from Japan in a decade.
So can Nissan do any better? Apparently yes.
“You’ll see our answer to the midlife crisis at the Tokyo Motor Show. Except it won’t be for a midlife crisis,” added Palmer. “It’ll be aimed at young and middle-aged types alike.”
In a marketplace where Generation Z is losing interest in cars and car culture, Nissan is trying to generate some appeal and inject passion back into motoring with a radical new two door, rear wheel drive concept car, the IDx.
Nissan designers and conceptualists say that customer paradigms are changing significantly which means that a new style of car must be created to appeal to a changing customer base.
Trying to appeal to digital natives who value IT and social media networks as the new communication tools of the 21st Century is the key, says one designer.
The car has to be stylish, offer the right combination of social networking tools including Bluetooth, Internet and GPS satnav connectivity, and also drive well. But Nissan’s product planners realised that these features were not enough to create a car that catches the eye as well as the heart.
So, to fill in the blanks in this, its 80th anniversary, Nissan decided to delve back into its rich heritage of sports cars and race cars to find inspiration for such a car.
As chief designer Satoru Tai says, “We are talking about models like the Datsun 1600, Skyline and Laurel from the 1960s and '70s. That is where we sourced our inspiration.
"We conceived the IDx through direct interaction with Generation Z who seek a compact, minimalistic sedan-shaped coupe,” he said.
Boasting a low and wide stance, the IDx is actually a little smaller in wheelbase than the 86 and BRZ, explains Tai.
And a quick look at the IDx’s silhouette reveals these design slants. As an owner of a Datsun 1600 back in university, this writer can definitely see some 1600 influence in the IDx’s side profile. And while this design is fresh and new but with retro hints for young buyers, the overall design seems all too familiar yet appealing for buyers in their 40s who grew up watching 1600s and Skylines appear on the roads.
Tai went onto say that one other aspect of this concept that he thought important for young and mid-aged buyers alike would be a rear-wheel drive platform.
Nissan was being tight-lipped about the powertrain, but one engineer suggested that a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine generating around 110kW (150hp) would most probably find its way into the IDx’s engine bay.
To pluck at the heartstrings of all those who long for the “new,” but with a touch of nostalgia, Nissan will also be unveiling an IDx Nismo version draped in the company’s traditional racing colours and featuring bigger wheels and raunchy aeroparts and interior appointments.
If Nissan's Executive Vice President Andy Palmer has anything to do with this car, we could see the IDx in showrooms as early as 2016.
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