Nissan FORUM Concept To Premier In 2008 Detroit Show

And you thought it would be all about the SEMA Show today, huh! Just minutes after Hyundai released a set of teaser sketches (click here) previewing a rear-wheel drive coupe concept that will debut at the 2007 LA Show in mid-November, Nissan came out and announced the premiere of a family orientated concept vehicle at the 2008 Detroit Show in January. According to Nissan, the FORUM concept will combine distinct styling with various innovations like the sliding doors. -Teaser release after the jump

PRESS RELEASE: LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2007) – Nissan’s exploration of the next generation of family transportation, the Nissan FORUM Concept, offers distinctive styling with innovations including trackless sliding doors and no B-pillars. Created at Nissan Design America, the FORUM Concept makes its public debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Nissan OneOne Concept: 2007 LA Design

The OneOne, pronounced “won-won” (Japanese description of a dog bark –what happened to woof, woof?) is Nissan’s proposal for this year’s 2007 LA Show Design Contest. According to the design team, the OneOne fulfils various needs of a family like retrieving dry cleaning and groceries or taking the children to school. Additionally, buyers can opt for a love pack which transforms the OneOne to the ultimate companion for those lonely winter nights –you wish… -Press release & pics after the jump

Nissan OneOne, a Friendly Pet

In the year 2057 robots have become an integral part of our lives blurring the line between humans and machines. The Nissan OneOne is the ultimate pet; a friendly, helpful member of the family of the future. OneOne (pronounced “won-won,” an endearing Japanese description of a barking dog) takes care of every aspect of the family’s busy lives from retrieving dry cleaning and groceries, to tending to the children. Guided by a real time GPS network, OneOne can take the children safely to school, soccer practice and back home in time for dinner.

OneOne takes mobility to a new level. Using synthetic muscles in its “legs,” it propels itself along by skating, much like you would on a pair of rollerblades. From performance car to city car, it lies down for speed or stands up for better visibility, allowing for more nimble navigation and easier parking.

OneOne fulfills every need from dutiful pet to spirited sports car in a design that makes it a welcomed member of the family.

Nissan Design America

Design Team: Bruce Campbell, Doug Wilson, Robert Bauer, Bryan Thompson, Rie Arroba, Jeremy Malick, Laurie Tait, Matt Wilson & Soichi Maruyama

Nissan Round Box Convertible: 2007 Tokyo Show

Nissan’s Round Box concept is a compact 4-seater convertible equipped with a turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine mated to Nissan's advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Although Nissan supports that the Round Box was inspired “by the lively atmosphere of a sports bar”, we’re sorry to say that we fail to see the connection. If on the other hand they supported that they checked out the Peugeot 107’s front-end when they were designing the RB, then yes, we would have agreed. -Full press release & image gallery after the jump

Press Release – Nissan Round Box

Youth-Oriented Compact Convertible Provides Occupants Senses of Speed and exilleration

The Nissan Round Box, with its compact convertible design, represents a new take on open-air motoring, providing exhilaration for all passengers - not just the driver - through its uniquely shared experience of fresh air stimulation, a sensation of speed and easy-to-use high-spec features.

The Round Box features an environmentally friendly turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine mated to Nissan's advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). It is also equipped with a number of safety systems based on Nissan's Safety Shield^* concept, including Around View Monitor and Distance Control Assist System (DCAS).

The inspiration for Round Box's interior, which features the "right sized" space to facilitate communication between the four occupants, was not another vehicle, but a social environment. "The car was inspired by the lively atmosphere of a sports bar," explains Tatsuya Shiosaki of Nissan's Exploratory and Advanced Product Department. "In a sports bar everyone is focused on the game for pure enjoyment. They are totally free of the pressure and tension felt by the players who are actually playing the game on the field. A sports bar affords an enjoyable, stress-free space where friends can experience a sense of togetherness. Simultaneously, they can enjoy thrilling excitement like being on a roller-coaster yet without any risk involved. That is the sort of emotive world the Round Box is intended to provide."

A Social, High-Spec Interior

The most striking aspect of the Round Box interior is the seating area - with front bucket and rear bench seats designed to provide support with a sense of relaxation. The design of the seating area is unique, with the comfortable bench-style seat cushions creating a sense of oneness with adjacent passengers, as well as front seatbacks that are separated to facilitate easy communication between all occupants.

"The seats have a bench-style lower half and a bucket-style upper half. Normally, such a combination would be impossible," said Kaoru Sato, Associate Chief Designer in the Product Design Department. "The seat design combines a casual bench seat, offering exceptional ease of entry and lateral movement from either side, with a supportive seatback that holds the body securely in place. We believe this combination is perfect for young people who want to satisfy their high-tech needs in a simple way. While the combination may appear contradictory at first glance, when you actually combine the elements, it produces a harmonious effect and represents a way of creating new value. The Round Box is full of such experimentation."

Round Box's relaxing ambience is enhanced by a mixture of flat and round curved surfaces throughout the interior, a motif that includes the instrument panel, steering wheel and other appointments. The name "Round Box," in fact, was inspired by these unique curved surfaces.

The Round Box interior also features an innovative, interactive "Play Catch" system, which allows the driver and passengers - including those in the rear seat - to share entertainment and driving information. The system utilizes a large touchscreen display positioned in the center of the vehicle and an additional monitor located in the center of the instrument panel. The "Play Catch" system encourages the driver and passengers to easily exchange information with each other - just like "playing catch." For example, passengers can search for shops or restaurants through the Round Box's navigation system, then send the driving route and instructions to the driver's monitor. It's a unique, enjoyable way of involving all the occupants, while allowing the driver concentrate on driving by carefully coordinating the two display systems.

A Unique Exterior Combining a Variety of Elements

The Round Box's youthful design mixes a variety of design elements, from the open upper cabin area to the rugged lower body - a combination that evokes a sporty yet relaxed feeling, as well as a sense of substance.

Round Box features tires placed at each corner to maximize interior room, enhance stability and to help create its unique "wide open" look. The open-air feeling is enhanced by a three-section removable roof panel, which can be stowed away in Round Box's ample truck.

Contributing to the shared sensation of speed are unique "road surface windows," small glass panels placed close to the ground on both sides of the Round Box. These windows provide passengers with a view of the rapidly passing road surface, without the risks of road contact associated with a motorcycle or other non-closed vehicles.

The new Round Box is a social, exhilarating vehicle design, combining value, style and a sense of speed and open-air freedom - a totally new and unprecedented approach to the concept of enjoyable mobility.

Nissan Intima Concept: Mercedes-CLS Look-Alike 2007 Debuts In Tokyo

And you thought that Japanese carmakers were done with copycat styling… Even if your eyesight is comparable to that of a mole –no offence, you can’t miss the apparent similarities with the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Of course, Nissan’s “innovative” design team came up with a set of suicide doors to set the two cars apart, but they can’t fool us (…). While we doubt that a car like the Intima Concept will ever be offered in either side of the Atlantic, word has it that Nissan is planning to introduce a toned-downed production version of the Intima for the Japanese market sometime between late 2008 and 2009. -High res image gallery & press release after the jump

Press Release: Nissan Intima Concept (Scroll down for the Image gallery)

New-Generation Saloon Embodies Nissan's Modern Living Concept, Providing Comfort, Relaxation, Fine Quality and Visual Enjoyment

Nissan's "Modern Living Concept" for car interiors combines attractive design, hospitality, relaxation and high quality with high levels of functionality and advanced technology. To date, the Modern Living Concept has been successfully featured in Nissan production cars such as the Teana, Tiida and Sylphy. Now, the Intima saloon takes the Modern Living Concept into a new dimension with an interior that invites passengers into a stimulating world of artistic forms, materials and illumination.

Intima is equipped with a number of safety systems based on Nissan's Safety Shield concept, including Around View Monitor and Distance Control Assist System (DCAS). It also features a quiet, efficient, environmentally friendly V6 clean diesel engine.

Thoughtful Hospitality and Visual Sophistication

Intima is targeted towards consumers with a sophisticated, discerning eye for beauty - who enjoy spending time in refined elegance and comfort, whether traveling alone or with a partner.

"We designed Intima as a car that expresses the interior attractiveness Nissan proposes in the Modern Living Concept," explains Product Chief Designer Kinichi Saito of the Product Design Department. "The inspiration came from imagining a situation where a person who has accumulated many life experiences and successes now wants to spend his or her own time, or time together as a couple, in an elegant environment."

For example, the instrument panel padding appears to "float" in between the wood grain panels, the center console incorporates a "wave pattern" and large door armrests and assist grips combine to give passengers a feeling of comfort and peace of mind.

Illumination is another significant element in orchestrating a sense of soothing relaxation in the Intima interior. Cabin illumination is provided by the indirect lighting incorporated in the instrument panel, center console, door trim and ceiling, and the door assist grips feature a blue-green acrylic material that gives off a soft light. The elegant mood is furthered by a lighted, convenient storage space for keeping a handbag or other small items, located on the inside of the front passenger's door.

Intima also features a four-zone, intelligent air conditioning system that provides a comfortable atmosphere for all passengers by independently controlling the individual temperature of each seating position through the use of infrared sensors. This advanced air conditioning system also keeps the interior of the vehicle clean by adopting a natural grape seed polyphenol filter that neutralizes pollen and other allergens. In addition, a cool storage compartment is located in the rear center console to keep beverages or snacks at an enjoyable temperature.

An Artful Expression of Relaxation

Traditionally, the expression of relaxation in a vehicle's design focuses purely on function, such as in terms of seat comfort. Intima goes a step beyond that tradition to incorporate art extensively into the interior, thus taking the sensation of relaxation to an even higher plane.

Intima's front passenger's seat swivels approximately 80° to the outside as if to welcome and escort a passenger into the car and ample legroom is provided in both the front and rear seats for passenger comfort. Intima's large glass roof, which appears to flow continuously from the car's windshield, enables all passengers to enjoy a wide outward view, enhancing the feeling of a comfortable, relaxing drive.

An Equally Artistic Exterior

Intima's exterior styling matches the interior's artistic image, with a design that combines sharp-edged lines and organic panel surfaces. "The balance of these two elements creates a refined mood based on the ideas of 'relaxation' and 'comfort,'" explained Saito.

Rich elegance is conveyed though Intima's arching side character line, while the crystal-like appearance of the front and rear lamps, grille and wheels project an image of superior quality and refinement reminiscent of jewelry. The subdued luster of the chrome finish also contributes to the impression of refined quality imparted by all of the exterior embellishments.

"Intima demonstrates that art and functionality are not mutually exclusive," said Saito. "There is a strong role of visual attractiveness in creating a comfortable, relaxing interior that is often overlooked. Intima, and Nissan's Modern Living Concept, are leading the way in the advancement of visually stimulating interior design."

A quiet, environmentally friendly clean diesel engine

Intima also features an environmentally friendly, V6 clean diesel engine. Designed to be in harmony with Intima's relaxing, high quality interior, the new-generation clean diesel offers quiet operation, as well as enhanced fuel efficiency.