If you want a good example of how the modern automotive manufacturer thinks of the future, Nissan’s concept cars will provide a pretty accurate representation. In fact, all three of them are pretty indicative of what their marketing department feels will be necessary for a future car market.
First up is the Vision Gran Turismo… and when you see the word Vision, you can already expect something that’s probably never going to make it to production. Call it a design study if you will, but the Vision Gran Turismo is touted as the successor to the R35 in a sense, although it looks a little too radical in the mean time. Developed in conjunction with Polyphony Digital (also known as the guys behind Gran Turismo), it will be on display in Fire Knight red.
Joining it will be the Gripz. Yes, we’ve come to the point where adding a “Z” to the end of a car’s name is a necessity in order to make it “hip and trendy”. Nisasn calls it the “ EV-based series hybrid sports crossover”, which essentially means it’s running a Nissan Leaf EV motor with a gasoline range-extender system. The exterior looks like an evolution of the Juke’s design, albeit with a little more flare and ruggedness. Nissan’s designers say they took inspiration from the Datsun Z rally cars of the 1970s, although the technology is anything but old school.
And finally, there will be the Teatro for Dayz. It’s not immediately obvious why Nissan is naming this concept in a similar fashion to how clothing lines name their new series of clothes, but supposedly the concept reflects what the next generation of drivers will want. Extreme connectivity and an interior that reflects that of a living room seem to be chief priorities, although there’s no word on whether this car will be autonomous or whether there will be a program to develop autonomous systems.
