Nissan Mixim Concept

Nissan Mixim Concept Car

The 62nd annual Frankfurt Motor Show is the launching pad for hundreds of new models, from concept cars to brand new production cars. It's always a busy time for everyone in the auto industry, including revitalised Japanese brand Nissan.

The Asian car maker used this year's Frankfurt Motor Show to preview an all new concept car, a one-off show car based on an existing model and a heavily revised production car.

The Mixim Concept Car, explains Nissan, is a compact vehicle for young drivers who are mostly engaged by their computer and the world via the Internet. The driver sits centrally, with two seats either side, while the steering wheel and controls are inspired by the interfaces so familiar to computer gamers.

By shifting its focus to younger drivers with specific models, Nissan hopes to set in motion the next few decades of prosperity. Though the Mixim isn't destined for production, many of the innovations pioneered may be integrated into future production models.

The Mixim is also an environmentally friendly vehicle, powered by Nissan’s "Super Motor" electric motor/generator and using compact lithium-ion batteries. Nissan says it has unusually rapid performance combined with a "usefully" extended range. Sitting on a 2530mm wheelbase, Mixim is 3.7m long, 1.8m wide and 1.4m tall, making it shorter and lower than Micra.

It weighs just 950kg, very light, and two of Nissan's "Super Motor" powertrains are used on the Mixim: one powers the front axle and a second drives the rear axle, allowing for all-wheel drive.

While the technology located under the Mixim Concept Car's skin is imaginative, the styling too cannot be dismissed as dull. The exterior design has a bulbous coupé shape, one that ensures it will not be easily ignored in Frankfurt.

With a wraparound windscreen, said to be inspired by the visor of a crash helmet, the middle of the car rises sharply and features a sharply truncated rear. The doors are also a design highlight, opening upwards and outwards in an exotic fashion.

The interior of the car is just as conceptual as the exterior, with a truly futuristic motif. The steering wheel, for example, looks like it was inspired by the controls of an aircraft, and even the seats feature an ergonomically futuristic design.

The second compact model that Nissan has confirmed for its Frankfurt Motor Show exhibit is the Micra Colour + Concept show car. As Nissan explains, this vehicle was designed and conceived at Nissan Design Europe, in London, to showcase the latest colour and paint technology and to highlight the changes that have been made to the entire Micra range.

It has been given a two-tone treatment with a Liquid Metal gold paint effect running over the top of the car and contrasting with the three coat pearlescent white finish on the car's flanks.

Nissan says that inside the Colour + Concept theme continues with a high contrast between the upper and lower portions of the interior. Re-upholstered in sumptuous white leather, the seats have accented detailing and stitching. Carpets and lower internal panels are a darker acid yellow to contrast with the pale upper portion of the dashboard.

Nissan will also debut a "more mature Micra", expected to be a mid-life update. As the company states, the new Micra will feature subtle changes to the exterior and interior.

Source : http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/nissan-mixim-concept-new-micra.htm

Nissan Pivo 2 Concept

Nissan Pivo 2 Concept car

Tokyo, Japan — One of the many concept cars being readied for the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan is this iPod-inspired vehicle. With a design that's best described as odd and/or bulbous, it features accelerator and brake pedals embossed withaudio player symbols: fast-forward and stop.

According to Nissan, the Pivo 2 is an advanced electric concept car that builds on the popularity of the first Pivo, which was shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Power comes from environmentally friendly compact lithium-ion batteries.

More of an entertaining way of transport than a traditional car, it even features a "highly innovative Robotic Agent". Drivers will never be lonely again, as the robotic companion can converse in both Japanese and English dialects, and was created to make journeys less stressful. The robotic agent is also instrumental in operating the cars functions, from heating and cooling to navigation.



The entire front end of the car opens up via a large door to allow the driver and his two passengers access, and because it features a rotating cabin (the entire cabin can swivel 360 degrees) there is no need for a reverse gear.

The vehicle is made even more nimble thanks to four wheels. Each of the four wheels are powered by advanced electric in-wheel '3D Motors', which can then swivel 90 degrees allowing the Pivo 2 to drive sideways as well as forward.



Nissan's new Pivo 2 concept will be exhibited alongside with four other production and concept vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show, which starts on October 27th.

Source: http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/nissan-pivo-2.htm

Nissan Pivo Concept

Nissan Pivo concept car

October 24, 2005 One of the stars of the 2005 Tokyo Show, the Nissan Nissan Motors Pivo concept car is an electric car Innovation-At-Big-Companies Dec-07 with unique revolving cabin, compact packaging, multiple drive-by-wire systems and excellent visibility. The Pivo concept car examines the potential of future electric vehicles. The Pivo's most distinctive feature is its cabin that revolves 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse. A compact body also makes the car exceptionally easy to maneuver. Excellent visibility is enhanced by Nissan’s Around View technology, which helps reduce dangerous blind spots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_spot . The navigation and audio systems are simple to operate while driving. These features are supported by Nissan’s innovative environment-friendly technologies such as the Compact Lithium-ion Battery.

Easy-to-drive and user friendly

Outstanding maneuverability: Pivo is ideal for urban driving. It can easily pass oncoming traffic even on the narrowest streets and is a cinch to park in the tightest of spots. Pivo seats three passengers comfortably despite an overall length of just 2,700 mm. The driver sits front and center while two passengers sit side-by-side in the rear. Tall, electrically-powered sliding doors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_Doors make it easy to get in and out without hitting your head.

There’s no going back: Parking in a tight spot invariably requires backing in inch-by-inch. But with Pivo there’s no going back; you simply pivot the entire cabin – hence the concept’s name. This ability to park while always looking forward is enabled by Nissan's advanced drive-by-wire technologies that preclude the need for mechanical connections between cabin and chassis.

Easy to operate with no hidden dangers: Today’s urbanites are deluged with information from all sides. But Pivo manages the flow with a host of telematics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telematics features that deliver the right information at the right time. The driver can control the information flow without taking the eyes off the road. What’s more, visibility is enhanced by see-through pillars, Nissan's Around View Monitor and other innovations that reduce blind spots.

Futuristic exterior and interior Inside and out, Pivo’s state-of-the-art innovations are showcased by a design that is futuristic yet friendly. Front and rear lamps feature a clear, clean-looking design. And the exterior even features oval recesses both front and rear that are covered with soft materials – comfy places to sit outside when Pivo is parked. You find the same thoughtfulness in a soft, organic interior that extends from the center of the revolving egg-shaped cabin, which is the Pivo's most unique feature. Because the platform has a longitudinally symmetrical design, the driver's perception of the car's corners does not change even when the cabin is rotated 180 degrees.

Advanced technologies enhance driving experience Pivo is powered by a Nissan-developed high-performance Compact Lithium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium -ion Battery and Nissan’s unique Super Motor. The result is zero emissions. Beyond this outstanding environmental performance, the electric powertrain enables a highly compact body. Designers made the most of Nissan’s Compact Lithium-ion Battery – which, being flat, require much less space than conventional cylindrical cells – to achieve remarkable packaging efficiency. Even more space and weight savings are achieved with Nissan’s Super Motor. One Super Motor on each axle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axle delivers power to two shafts, each of which can be controlled independently. This allows efficient distribution of torque to all four wheels with two (not four) electric motors.

Pivo's unique revolving cabin is just one of the myriad possibilities enabled by Nissan’s multiple drive-by-wire technologies. These include steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and shift-by-wire systems that replace mechanical linkages with electronic signals. By eliminating the need for mechanical links between cabin and chassis, designers were able to create the unique pivoting passenger compartment. Drive-by-wire technologies afford even more flexibility inside the cabin as the layout of steering, braking and other functions is no longer governed by mechanical linkages. Even better, drive-by-wire systems mean less weight and fewer mechanical parts.

See-through pillars and Nissan’s Around View Monitor helps to reduce dangerous blind spots. Cameras mounted on the outside of each A-pillar feed an accurate image of the surroundings to screens mounted on the inside of the pillar. The net effect is pillars that become virtual windows. The Around View Monitor meanwhile generates a 360-degree view of the car’s surroundings on a dashboard monitor. Cameras positioned front and rear on both sides of the car capture images of the surroundings. An innovative image processing technique synthesizes these images into a single bird’s-eye view.

A dash-mounted infrared (IR) commander allows drivers to operate the navigation system and audio system without taking an eye off the road or fumbling around for controls. It’s a new type of human-machine interface (HMI) that uses an infrared camera and Nissan’s "Magic 4" concept. You simply point fingers at the infared commander to choose from any of four items on a menu. If you want item number three, hold up three fingers. Or, for example, if you want the music louder, just motion upwards with your hand.

Thanks to Nissan's Horizontal Display there is even less need to take an eye off the road – because information is displayed along the bottom of the windshield. This system, first featured in the Serenity concept shown at the Tokyo Motor Show two years ago, displays information in the manner of movie subtitles. This innovative display system supports Nissan's future telematics interface concept. For example, in “City Browsing mode,” the system can display information transmitted live from nearby locations. What’s that building up ahead? City Browsing labels it.

Source: www.gizmag.com