Nissan IDx Concept - Is this our affordable RWD sports car?

[Bubba1]

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.

.

^ This is exactly what I thought, minus the arson. Nissan needs to remember K.I.S.S. ("Keep it simple, stupid"), which is why many of us got hooked on Datsun/Nissan in the first place. If they dump the excessive styling touches, make it RWD,and add a man pedal option, I think they'd have a huge winner, just like the original 510.

[Hijacker]

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/

f***' eh, Nissan. Why you gotta make me hurt you?

They claim to be listening to the consumer, but they still shove a crappy CVT in it? There's still time for them to slap in a 6 speed, and I see plenty of people trying to shoehorn the Z's 6MT in there if it launches with no happy stick option.

I slept on this and thought about it a bit more. There's some good potential here, but in classic Nissan fashion, they're reserving (and practicing now that I know the CVT will worm its ham hands into this thing) the right to completely and utterly miss the point. I'm ok with them trying to dig back to the old nickel and dime roots. They were fun little cars to work on. I never raced one, but I banged my knuckles on quite a few.

The whole "Why won't you make an S16" issue that everyone is choking over is simple: Nissan doesn't want to gut sales of the 370Z. It's the exact same reason the S13 and S14 were watered down when they came to America. Going back to the 510 allows them to position this car far from the Z and limit the cannibaling of sales of the Z. Had they released another little brother platform, people would likely gravitate towards the cheaper platform since it would out perform the Z with some investment. Why do you think the S13 was marketed towards early 20s women and the Z was a mid life crisis sex mobile? In today's world, that separation would be hard to create as anyone who would do a little research on the internet would likely find the S16's lineage and make the connections pretty darn quick.

Now, harkening back to the 510, its a bit easier to separate the Z and the IDx. Yes, the old S30 and 510 shared just about everything but some sheet metal and a few cylinders, but I get the feeling that with such a long time having passed from their co-existant days that people won't be as apt to compare the IDx to the 370Z. It's a gamble in that regards, but I have a feeling it played a huge factor into it since most of the cries for an entry level RWD platform have been a revitalization of the S-chassis and not for an updated 510. Then again, I'm not privy to Nissan's focus group surveys, phone surveys, and myriad of other decision making marketing tools that were used to aim the design team towards this project.

[dickie]

Oh Jeez.

I will say this - for all the intense scrutiny and pre-launch hate Toyota faced over the ZN-6, it more than paid for its development costs in sales and publicity. They at least managed to make a car that most will grudgingly admit rewards the driver with communicative response (despite the unnecessary electronic nanny s*** and terrible powerplant choice). for all the complaining about the styling not fitting its namesake progenitor, we now have a perfect example of why retro themes DO NOT MIX with the ugly/busy/contrived styling language today's manufacturers just can't seem to let die.

appearances aside, Nissan really knows how to screw its consumer base. Ghosn is a shrewd businessman, and I guess the success of the neo-86 couldn't go unrecognized and unchallenged forever. that shrewdness can also be blamed for the ultimate failure of this new turd-in-a-shiny-wrapper. CVT. HA! they should have called it the Cube2.

[float_6969]

If it has a CVT, I'm out. Nissan is missing the point on this thing. Most of the ppl that buy this would be interested in modifying it for better performance. The CVT would be HUGELY limiting in that area, and WILL drive potential buyers away.

The longer this drags on, the more I think I might quit waiting and go buy a BRZ...

[Hijacker]

I woke up this morning, wrote my extended thoughts and went about getting ready for the day. I started to think about why it would have a CVT only loadout. The wheelbase is very short looking. The entire go assembly is behind the front axle, which means there's not a whole lot of room for a long nosed 6MT. I get the feeling that beyond the CVT for everyone doctrine, packaging constraints played a bit of a role in the choice. The community has been pretty boisterous in its hatred of the CVT, so if Nissan really is "listening", they would have at least tried to put a 6MT in it (even a 5MT FFS). If it makes it to production and is released with only a CVT option, I swear I will make it my life's goal to shoehorn a proper transmission in there.

[EZcheese15]

Did anyone catch the significance of the name?

What's "DX" in Roman numerals?

DX is 510 in Roman numerals. Good catch. Now they just need to make a concept car called the SXVI lol.

I was looking forward to seeing what Nissan was going to show off in Tokyo this week, because I was thinking it could be my next potential vehicle. I like the styling, but two things will keep me from buying this. A 150 hp engine and CVT. I like the MR16DDT engine, hell I have one. But I'm not going to trade in a Juke for a less powered version of the engine and no clutch.

Even if it was a double clutch gearbox, I might be ok with it. But a CVT....hell no. And really, I see no purpose of a double clutch gearbox in a car with only 150 hp. May as well make it traditional manual. They say they listen to consumers when designing this, but I want to know what car enthusiast on the planet would say "a Nismo sports car...better make it a CVT." That's just straight up s***.

[Jmoore124]

Yeah,

Looks like I am looking elsewhere for that new vehicle purchase at the beginning of next year.

[danshaz82]

If it makes it to production and is released with only a CVT option, I swear I will make it my life's goal to shoehorn a proper transmission in there.

i give it a few months until someone does it. look how long it took for people to put 1/2jzs and such in the FRS

[Hijacker]

If it makes it to production and is released with only a CVT option, I swear I will make it my life's goal to shoehorn a proper transmission in there.

i give it a few months until someone does it. look how long it took for people to put 1/2jzs and such in the FRS

Psh, I'll cram an LSX with a T-56 in it.

[RicerX]

Give it time, guys. I think they will find a way to make a MT happen. It is in concept form, after all. These things exist to gauge initial reception. If people are like "I'd buy twelve of those right now with a proper manual transmission" I would imagine they'd heavily consider it.

[EZcheese15]

If there's any question as to whether or not this is directly based off the 510 or something else. Here's a pretty clear answer:

[RicerX]

If there's any question as to whether or not this is directly based off the 510 or something else. Here's a pretty clear answer:

Very nice!

[breadbox]

I doubt fender mirrors are making to final production on the econ models, I could see there being the JDMfanboy option on the NISMO.

Also CVT is fail. Not that anybody here needed reminding.

Also the denim interior had me giggling. Reminded me of an old SEAT I rode around in Germany in.

[breadbox]

And Did anyone love the door closing strap the first time around?

I want the DATSUN go that india is getting over one of these. At least it has a clutch.

[nissangirl74]

If I had a dollar for every time we have used the words "CVT" and "fail" in the same sentence, I could afford to buy Nissan and we could start building some amazing cars.

I'm REALLY hoping that the manual will be an option in the production models. If they offer it in the Versa, Cube, Juke, and Sentra (even though it pertains only to the base models) SURELY they will offer it in a RWD coupe. Say your prayers to God, Allah, and the Great Pumpkin that they come to their senses before the first ones hit the lots.

[frapjap]

If there's any question as to whether or not this is directly based off the 510 or something else. Here's a pretty clear answer:

I don't hate it. I actually kinda like that it follows the 1 series smallish coupe formula. The raked rear roof line and short trunk/rear overhang are refreshing. Hopefully the rear 1/4 window rolls down completely, too. That'll help open up the cabin of an otherwise high belt line car. The rear angles of the car, including the wheel well look very proportional. The wheels could be a tad smaller though, especially for some cheaper rubber. I even like the change in the body color on the front wheel arch. It provides something that looks better than the same lame old half moon.

However, I hate, hate, hate that stupid looking hump at the bottom of the C pillar. WTF IS THAT!? It looks okay-ish from the side, a little less offensive, but when you have a 3/4 profile like the beige/gold car, goddamn its horrendous! It makes me want to draw an imaginary line and add tail fins with a conical brake light to it. Actually, that would look WAY better than the current depiction.

The NISMO hood and headlight arrangement looks pretty sweet. If there is a second place this rendering falls short, its the side exhaust. If you're going to put side exit exhaust on a car, it'd better have the power to back it up; think Cobra, Cobra Mustang, Viper, etc.
It also better have a manual transmission available across the entire model offering, not just in the bare bones model and the NISMO! Marketing this car as a 'drivers car' or a 'performance oriented car' among its competitors without the option of a manual transmission would be like banging a stripper without a rubber- you just don't do it!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Any time your C-pillar casts a shadow ONTO ITSELF, you have a problem.

I could see them taking a question of "why no manual trans" and answering it with "well, due to space constraints we just couldn't fit one in there", to which the answer/rebuttal should be "then start over".


What happened to the days of designing a vehicle AROUND a certain powerplant?

Start with this *hands them turbo 4 banger and 6MT*. Build a vehicle around it.

They need to do something very ballsy to get me back in their court. Like offer a kickass vehicle with ONLY a manual trans.

[Hijacker]

http://jalopnik.com/the-nissan-idx-nism ... 1468159303

Jalopnik posted an article about it today. Looks like the freeflow gets the small N/A motor and CVT and the Nismo model will get a turbo setup with 6MT. Thank. God.

With side mufflers, a 1.6 turbo engine linked to a six-speed manual and 225/40 19-inch tires, this feels more like our game.

this has been the only professional article I've seen posted online concerning the IDx, so until I start seeing more confirmation that this will indeed be the Nismo setup, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The official press release only mentions the CVT with the s*** 6MT shift mode. So i dunno. It also states that there's no legacy influence on the design, which is pretty effing obvious that there is.

The prefix Nissan gave to the two new concepts, "IDx," reflects those ideals. "ID" is the acronym taken from "identification", relating to the things all individuals relate to on a personal level in a car, and the "x," which is the variable representing the new values and dreams born through communication.

That's kind of lame, I like the idea that it's a subtle Roman numeral shout out to the old 510.

Though compact in size – about 4.1 meters in length, 1.7 meters in width, and 1.3 meters in overall height – the IDx Freeflow impresses with its daring yet dignified exterior.

Small car!

The press release looks like it was written by a drunken liberal arts major who's never been around a car in his/her life and then was fact checked by one of those tribal guys in Africa who's never seen a technology more advanced than a stone tied to a stick.

If the release is right and the author of the Jalopnik article was confused about the idea of a 6MT, then we need to petition the crap out of Nissan to correct this horrendous offense. There is nothing sporty about the CVT. At all. Ever.

[EZcheese15]

Look at the pedal configuration on the Nismo model. It is a CVT. Jalopnik is just wrong on this one.

[biggie]

Just figure a way to get a new chassis, make it 1.5L or bigger with turbo options, and regular manual transmission.

Hell if they want to sell something, fit this onto the 370Z chassis and shove the VQ25 in it. Might make it more of the $22k+ range though.

[danshaz82]

[frapjap]

http://jalopnik.com/the-nissan-idx-nism ... 1468159303

Jalopnik posted an article about it today. Looks like the freeflow gets the small N/A motor and CVT and the Nismo model will get a turbo setup with 6MT. Thank. God.

With side mufflers, a 1.6 turbo engine linked to a six-speed manual and 225/40 19-inch tires, this feels more like our game.

This is stupid. Subaru, Chevy, Ford, and Mazda included a manual option in all of their vehicles- turbo/higher horsepower power plant or not. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that not everyone who likes this car will be able to afford the NISMO model with the 6 speed and will be hard to convince that they should buy the CVT over something else competitive in this cars class. Assuming this car is going to be marketed as a small performance car, all models of this car, regardless of power plant should include the option for a manual transmission.

[Hijacker]

I messaged the author of the Jalopnik article. Maybe it was a verbal gaffe from Ghosn (it looks like him on the viewscreens during the presentation), a decision after the press release was originally drafted to include a proper gearbox, or just translation errors from the French CEO to the Hungarian/English reporter. Going off the pictures of one concept car doesn't prove one way or the other what the final plans for the car actually are.

[AZhitman]

If it makes it to production and is released with only a CVT option, I swear I will make it my life's goal to shoehorn a proper transmission in there.

i give it a few months until someone does it. look how long it took for people to put 1/2jzs and such in the FRS

Won't happen. Doesn't work that way.

Don't ask me how I know, but let me just say I have a $20K paperweight in my possession for the past 2 years because of this type of thinking.

Can-bus wiring, no harness diagram, non-interchangeability of parts, one-time-use-only components, integrated gauges and BCM, and non-serviceable major assemblies have conspired to prevent the best and brightest team I can assemble from swapping a 6MT in place of a CVT.

The FRS swaps are track cars for the most part - Completely gutted shells with standalone ECU, no BCM, no airbags, no creature comforts.

Let's not get deluded by some photoshoot car and start thinking post-2005 cars are easy swap candidates.

Back to the IDx.

[AZhitman]

I messaged the author of the Jalopnik article.

Going off the pictures of one concept car doesn't prove one way or the other what the final plans for the car actually are.

Let's also not assume for one second that the Jalopnik author knows any more than we do.

I've drafted "exclusive" articles before, armed with a few "guesses," coupled with my knowledge of the company's tendencies, as well as a pretty intimate awareness of what's in their parts bin at the time.

Add to that a fluid writing style and some "creative license" and you can come up with a pretty convincing "exclusive" article. I'd know.

It's all a means to drive traffic, and it's well-done. Props to them for putting pen to paper with a quickness.

[Ranga14]

Won't happen. Doesn't work that way.

Don't ask me how I know, but let me just say I have a $20K paperweight in my possession for the past 2 years because of this type of thinking.

Can-bus wiring, no harness diagram, non-interchangeability of parts, one-time-use-only components, integrated gauges and BCM, and non-serviceable major assemblies have conspired to prevent the best and brightest team I can assemble from swapping a 6MT in place of a CVT.

The FRS swaps are track cars for the most part - Completely gutted shells with standalone ECU, no BCM, no airbags, no creature comforts.

Let's not get deluded by some photoshoot car and start thinking post-2005 cars are easy swap candidates.

Back to the IDx.

wow, that sucks! I was kind of wondering what had happened with your swap... I assume the car was a CVT only option and that's why the swap could never complete?

And yes, this IDX annoys me. On one hand, Nissan debuts the IDX, a 150hp CVT BRZ fighter? lol... Then on the other hand they debut a Sentra Nismo turbocharged with a limited slip and 6 speed manual, WTF NISSAN?!?!?!!?!?!?!!!!!!

[dre1507]

Exactly, and the sentra has almost 100 more hp. That's crap. I spend my days driving rental fodder (as Greg calls them) for tips and a paycheck, and from a rough guess the average crank hp is around 260. Even rental fodder realize they need more power than they had in the 90's. So why is the IDx trying to live in the past?

[Rev_D21]

I like that it isn't wedge shaped like every car is shaped today. I am confused when the video says that Nissan listened to us but built the car for non-car people/ teenagers who can't afford them anyway. Just seems like stupid marketing. If it comes with a MT I am all over it though, it's got the right look and I love the shark nose.

[skydragoness]

Oh Jeez.
I will say this - for all the intense scrutiny and pre-launch hate Toyota faced over the ZN-6, it more than paid for its development costs in sales and publicity. They at least managed to make a car that most will grudgingly admit rewards the driver with communicative response

(despite the unnecessary electronic nanny bullsh*t and terrible powerplant choice). for all the complaining about the styling not fitting its namesake progenitor, we now have a perfect example of why retro themes DO NOT MIX with the ugly/busy/contrived styling language today's manufacturers just can't seem to let die.

appearances aside, Nissan really knows how to screw its consumer base. Ghosn is a shrewd businessman, and I guess the success of the neo-86 couldn't go unrecognized and unchallenged forever. that shrewdness can also be blamed for the ultimate failure of this new turd-in-a-shiny-wrapper. CVT. HA! they should have called it the Cube2.

Seriously, you can't have it 'retro' influenced and then throw some crazy futuristic styling on top of it. It just looks like a hot mess. I mean, GM and Ford seem to have revived retro styling with success.

I won't go on about the CVT choice but those headlamps look like they won't be doing much illuminating.

Nissan has made some cool stuff in the past...if they are 'afraid' to make a 'cheap' RWD coupe...then why not a hot hatch or coupe in the vein of the Pulsar GTI-R or SE-R or as a competitor to the Focus ST? *sigh*

[PapaSmurf2k3]

i give it a few months until someone does it. look how long it took for people to put 1/2jzs and such in the FRS

Won't happen. Doesn't work that way.

Don't ask me how I know, but let me just say I have a $20K paperweight in my possession for the past 2 years because of this type of thinking.

Can-bus wiring, no harness diagram, non-interchangeability of parts, one-time-use-only components, integrated gauges and BCM, and non-serviceable major assemblies have conspired to prevent the best and brightest team I can assemble from swapping a 6MT in place of a CVT.

The FRS swaps are track cars for the most part - Completely gutted shells with standalone ECU, no BCM, no airbags, no creature comforts.

Let's not get deluded by some photoshoot car and start thinking post-2005 cars are easy swap candidates.

Back to the IDx.

Another solid post from our fearless leader
Everything about that is spot-on.