It has been revealed that the Nissan IDx and BladeGlider concept cars have been added to Nissan’s mid-term product plan, with possible launches within the next five years. The brand cited the new ways people buy and customize cars as the reason for the classic yet eye-catching styles.
The IDx measures about 13.5 feet in length, 5.6 feet in width and 4.3 feet in overall height, putting it near the size of a BMW 1-series, if not a little smaller. Nissan wanted to “take its heritage and marry it with intriguing new details.” The duos draw inspiration from the iconic Datsun 510, a lightweight, affordable rear wheel drive that remains a cult favorite decades after production ended. The IDx Nismo sports many of the classic Datsun BRE styling cues.
Andy Palmer said the biggest challenge for the BladeGlider concept, which was based on an Ariel Atom with a narrowed front track, was in convincing the engineers that it could work.
“With electric cars, you don’t need to put the engine where God intended anymore,” he said. “You can do a triangular shape, and keep the weight low and towards the back with where you place the batteries. It wasn’t the technical challenge, but instead convincing the engineers that it could work.”
“The IDx is one extreme end of the spectrum, the BladeGlider the other,” said Palmer. “In the middle we’ll have our traditional sports cars, with a 370Z at the lower end and the GTR at the upper end.”
“IDx Nismo and IDx Freeflow show how Nissan is using new and innovative product development methods to meet the needs of younger customers who have novel, exciting ideas, and engage with them to build the cars they want,” said Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer of Nissan.
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