[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soi_MI-jP7s[/youtube]

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.

*exhales of relief*

Things I love:
- RWD
- Finally they freaking listened to us
- Derived from sports car heritage (the beancounters seem away from this)
- Looks OK.

Things I hate:
- Very busy. It needs some streamlining. The basic shape is pretty decent, the rear end is nice. I can see the front end looking fantastic with some tweaking. But it has too much glitter on it right now.
- Rumored 150hp engine. blah. 20year old turbo motor swap anyone?

Got dammit its growing on me.

In one model, I'm seeing some 510 and Hakosuka influences.

In the other, I see some B210 and some B14 Sentra.

krash wrote:and also drive well

Sure, lets just throw that out there like it's a tertiary concern...
Statements like that are what make it painfully aware that Nissan sucks now.

I don't hate the basic idea. If it's executed properly, this could be huge.

Let's keep our fingers crossed... some of the tidbits I learned from the Nissan 360 event are starting to make sense now.

I am definitely intrigued. Loving seeing the throwback to the old school Datsuns in the styling. A lot.

I want the Nismo model, but with the free flow headlights, in matte black with the stripe, roof, and number done in gloss black. Maybe this is what became of the S16? Either way, I like it.

Also, the more I look at it, it reminds me a bit of the mid 70s Celica rally cars, too. (but that could just be the drool on the screen)

VSblacktop wrote:I want the Nismo model, but with the free flow headlights, in matte black with the stripe, roof, and number done in gloss black. Maybe this is what became of the S16? Either way, I like it.

I'm there too. I'm seeing two distinct cars, on a similar platform, the more i look at them.

The dimensions are interesting, too... shorter than a BRZ = good.

something with some power for open road driving, but small enough to deal with the city. Makes sense to me. Im kind of secretly hoping they do a wagon/hatch, too.

Oh for the love of Mr. K, WTF is that? God dammit Nissan, you suck.

First you have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the cold hard fact that some people, more than any "expert" cares to admit, simply enjoy driving and don't want crossovers, CVTS, FWD, satellite-controlled cup holders and other such BS.

You then compound your weapons-grade stupidity by doing what so many other similarly obtuse car makers do at a moment where real car guys would break the mold, you puss out, you try to do a rehash of an old car.

Just like the new CamaStangerAllenger, your weak copy is weak. The dime was designed and built by men who had passion and can still excite today just like it did back in the day, but you ladies wear Calvin Klein underwear an moisturize; it's obvious.

Nissan, you went full retard. Even Toyota when they flirted with being lame just stole the name 86. They didn't try to steal the lines of it. They even designed a new car, durp! Nissan, you never go full retard.

Carlos Ghosn is simple jack


This thing displeases me simple jack.

VSblacktop wrote:Makes sense to me. Im kind of secretly hoping they do a wagon/hatch, too.

Could be way cool as a wagon / hatch. Photoshoppers, GO!

I'm also seeing some Nissan Foria influences as well.

I like how it looks. Hopefully it makes a little more power than just 150hp. At least getting somewhere close to the 200 range. Hopefully they keeep it simple and don't fag it out with too many electronic pieces and keep it to a reasonable price.

I'd consider one. One thing I noticed was a stick shift. If there's a CVT model, I might go to TN and burn NNA HQ down.

I like the styling, but it is too busy. A lot of that will be smoothed out if this makes it to production.

I will say, I'm very irked about how the designers were patting themselves in the back because listening to customers makes a better car. I swear, if we had screamed any louder for any longer, we'd have asphyxiated.

AZhitman wrote:In one model, I'm seeing some 510 and Hakosuka influences.

That was exactly my first thought. Looks like a dime and a Hakosuka bumped uglies.

AZhitman wrote:In one model, I'm seeing some 510 and Hakosuka influences.

In the other, I see some B210 and some B14 Sentra.

Agreed.

My only gripes right now are power, the front, the height, and those rear haunches.
-Power: I understand that the styling inspirations come from eras where 150hp was plenty for a small sporty car. However, by today's standards, that amount is just too....'90s?
-The front: I'm not exactly sure what needs to be done to it, but I know I'm not feeling it as much. The hood angle seems a bit too 180, and the angle from the hood to the bumper (the top half of the face) is a bit too acute. Adding more downward angle to the hood would allow for lessening the angle of the face.
-Rear haunches: I feel they're not neccessary. This cars like hakosuka and the 510 didn't have rear haunches, and looked good without them. I think this car would also.
-Height: Shortened pillars and panels (vertically) would flow well with a more aggressively angled hood,and less face angle.

The car is a giant step in the right direction, however. So it goes without saying that I really like it. I'm glad they decided to actually listen.

As a person who's not very fond of car notes, a better looking production version of this car with more power would change that for me.

Way too busy and I'm really not digging the floating roof on a car with a wheelbase that short.

The wheels look freakishly huge to me too, almost making the car look cartoonish.

If its going to have 150hp, it better weigh less than 2200lbs.

Did anyone catch the significance of the name?

What's "DX" in Roman numerals?

haha, very cool

The first thing I thought was 510. I like it. It need that "production" touch, as it is too busy for my taste, and if it only makes 150HP, it had better be CRAZY light. My guess is not. It seems like from the video there will be 2 vehicles produced on the same platform. If that's the case, maybe the "generic" version will be the 150 HP version, and the "NISMO" version will get a RWD Juke motor with 200hp.

I'm interested...

^ That's what I'm guessing.

I wouldn't doubt there'll be a "bare-bones", pedestrian model (with an N/A 4-cyl) and a hotted-up version (NISMO) with a 225+ hp forced-induction powerplant.

I iz disappoint. I'm glad Nissan finally built something that (sorta) fills our requirements but I can't help feeling like it was a haphazard / after-thought attempt. There's really not anything I like about it at the moment. I get all of the heritage tributes but it looks like a 5 year old with ADHD ran through the parts bins at Nissan and just starting grabbing s*** to put together. It's been 15 years since the last of the Koukis rolled off the production line. You would think that they could develop something really badass in a decade and a half. I know the production models will be tweaked but it's gonna have to be tweaked a LOT to change my mind. Also, 150 hp? Seriously? That's ridiculous and it isn't competitive. The BRZ has 200 hp, RWD, and is dead sexy. While the Speed3 and the Focus ST don't have RWD, they both have LOTS of horsepower, 263 and 247 respectively, and they look awesome. The freaking JUKE has more horsepower, 188 to be exact, and it feels like it doesn't have enough power to pull a greasy string out a cat's a**. If Nissan wants to compete, they better step up their A-game because I don't know many people that would choose the Nissan over any of the others. I'll reserve my final judgement until I can see and drive one but you know what they say, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression".

PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:It better weigh less than 2200lbs.

With all of the required safety stuff ( a billion air bags per person) that exists these days, is that even possible and still be street legal?

I completely understand what you're saying, Bex. The truth is that they didn't spend the last 15 years working on a successor to the s chassis. They were busy enjoying profits from the massive heaps of bland that A-to-B-ers were and still are buying. So yea, at this point it really is a haphazard build. But it is also a step in the right direction, and with some more work in the power and aesthetics (pillar and panel dimensions, angles, wheel sizing) department, I think it can be a FRS/BRZ fighter.....And the handling better be spot on.

I agree with TMS's criticisms but I also see this as better than nothing.


I remain hopeful but skeptical.

nissangirl74 wrote:it feels like it doesn't have enough power to pull a greasy string out a cat's a**.

nissangirl74 wrote:

PapaSmurf2k3 wrote:It better weigh less than 2200lbs.

With all of the required safety stuff ( a billion air bags per person) that exists these days, is that even possible and still be street legal?

That'll probably be hard to achieve. The FRS weighs in at 2600+lbs.

I think the front looks a bit weird, and the car looks tall and strange, but whatever, it's a concept. The windows and roof look cool though.

The product strategy guy talking about focusing on people "very very far from the automotive world" and rumors of a weak engine makes me skeptical about how good this thing will be.

Hijacker wrote:I'd consider one. One thing I noticed was a stick shift. If there's a CVT model, I might go to TN and burn NNA HQ down.

Stop by and pick me up on the way...it's a CVT with a manual shift mode - whatever the f*** that means.

http://paultan.org/2013/11/20/nissan-id ... 10-reborn/

Paul Tan wrote:Although it’s just a design concept for now, Nissan proposes for the car to use the company’s 1.6 litre turbocharged engine, mated to a CVT gearbox with a six-speed manual shift mode for the Nismo car and a less powerful engine of between 1.2 litre to 1.5 litre in size mated to a CVT gearbox for the Freeflow.

Forget everything I've said so far about this car. Clearly I hadn't yet read that there are no current plans for a manual transmission. As my new found obsession with manuals can be equated to MoD's love for the V8, If a manual transmission isn't being planned for this car, then I am very disappoint and have no interest whatsoever in it. Disgusting.

For people who think driving is only about getting from A to B efficiently, and doesn't need to be fun, may I suggest riding public transportation? It's much cheaper, more efficient than a car, and over time, more than makes up for the few hours of inconvenience incurred every week.

The lack of a real 6 speed does significantly dampen my interest. Autostick, flappy paddle shifters, "manual mode" all suck. I want a clutch and a gearshift.

BusyBadger wrote:

Hijacker wrote:I'd consider one. One thing I noticed was a stick shift. If there's a CVT model, I might go to TN and burn NNA HQ down.

Stop by and pick me up on the way...it's a CVT with a manual shift mode - whatever the f*** that means.

http://paultan.org/2013/11/20/nissan-id ... 10-reborn/

Hahaha!

They can talk about a 510 all they want.


But all I see is Honeybee.


And that sucks.