Nissan IDx (new 510?)

[jser12]

Glowstar meshes would look sick.

[yellowdatsun]

I'm always amazed at just how butt hurt people get when new cars come out. All the haters that think a new car company should release a design that looks just like their beloved old car, and get all bent out of shape when that's just not possible. A retro themed 510 just isn't going to happen, and people need to realize this. A modern take on the same concept of car, is a do-able project, that would actually sell.

 

How many people would buy the Neo-510, realistically? Very few in terms of overall car sales. It would be relegated to the current 510 community, and as a result they wouldn't sell enough to make the project worth while.

 

Something like the IDx concept would appeal to a lot more people, and is a more sale-able car. It looks modern, with some cues to it's past. Instead of just looking like a remake of an old car.

 

As far as new cars go, I like it, a LOT. Both the BRE and standard one. I like it because it's different, boxy, has cues from Datsuns past, and most of all *doesn't* look like all the other blob crap on the road. Take it as a new car with style, and not a remake of your beloved 510.....your perception will change.

[loungin112]

Why wouldn't a retro-themed car work??!??  I argue the contrary.  The remakes of the Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger all prove otherwise.  Maybe throw the corvette in there too since there hasn't been any real changes to the general design concept.  Also, a 510 remake would work since most people don't know what a Datsun 510 is....they would think it is an entirely new model.  (Petrolheads would know otherwise though)

 

And yes, I should be working for Nissan, Toyota, Honda, etc designing cars....because I rock.

[Ryoskatekov]

My attempt at making a Concept car in 10 minutes,  Hope this won't make you guys mad. 

[OkieRA29]

You ladies and gents need more pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's amazing how different the two cars/concepts/models look with either subtle or somewhat more character defining features.

 

 

Lets be honest, even the french guy thinks it smells like week old shit!  Look at the pic!

[tr8er]

You can put BRE stripes on a box van, it still isn't going to make it look better.

Now that is just not true.  Anything makes a box van look better.  

[Son_of_a_Datsun_Guy]

Man, You guys get so worked up over shit. I don't think Nissan said this is the new 510. That's the fanboy media telling you that.

And if all you guys are so fucking good at designing cars, Why are you not working at Nissan or Toyota.

 

It's a concept car. It will look nothing like what you see here. They are trying to break off a slice of the Scion & Subi market. That's it. So that's why it looks like it does.

 

When Nissan did the 350Z they said it looked like the 240Z. It looks nothing like a 240Z, It looks like a fucking bar of soap. Just like all new cars do.

 

At least the concept they show has what looks like a chrome bumper on the front.

 

^ This. 

 

Personally I like it, and I see a lot of potential for the actual production car. I also see more 510 in it than I feel a lot of you do. Especially when you look at the head-ons of the "Freestyle" it very strongly resembles a 510 in my opinion. 

They have a lot of time to soak in our feedback (which they say they will) and bring the car down a notch in the uber-stylized lines and interior (the only part of the car that really bugs me is the interior in the Nismo version). 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I agree this looks better. But how old is this design, five years? a decade even? 

 

If you want a modern 510 it needs to still be modern. If they fix the C pillar, and get the windows lower to the ground I think the IDx has serious retro styling potential.

 

 

 

LIke I said I would buy one if it was built legitimately to compete with the BRZ in performance and specs. Although not a BRE theme fan, I do like the combination shown above... maybe I would get rid of the stripes and racing numbers, but the color scheme is nice. Id also like the front end with the quads on the BRE version. Then dump it and throw it on some Glowstar meshes. Done deal... Id daily the crap out of it. 

 

Seriously, I'd buy one if I had the funds. My hope is that they throw something similar to the Nismo Juke motor (four cylinder turbo around 200hp, comparable to the FRS). On top of that I believe that this concept is slightly smaller than the FRS in dimensions, which may give it the upper hand in the power to weight ratio. 

 

 

just my $.02

 

 

 

[datrod]

 

I would vote for the new concept over this one. This just looks like a sentra to me.

[2050-Z]

They made a new 510 in 1991:

 

[Tigerbomb]

Went into Nissan today to see if they have a waiting list. Just to show my face and interest. The guy didn't even know this was show. Neither did the rest of the dealership. They shat their pants. I will say, if these release stateside, i am gonna buy one. Regardless if it is a 510 or not, its what im going for. 

[2050-Z]

I'm pleasantly surprised with the concept. The sharp front of the Nismo version looks great, and more like a 240z than a 510.

 

I'm a bit iffy on the back end. Looks like a 1st-gen Celica or b210 coupe. Those weirdly rounded pillars.

 

I do like the black area on the pillars. Nice nod to the vents on the 510.

 

Love the Yellow and BRE color schemes, to match the famous 510 advertising material.

 

Now let's see the production version!

[danfiveten]

I told my wife last night if or if i dont get my settlement, by the time this releases our g20 will be paid off, and ill be buying one.  Bre version baby.   If they see the support for their older style cars maybe they will start doing more especially in the performance market again (where nissan has been missing for to long now) 

[Fat510]

They won't.

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Went into Nissan today to see if they have a waiting list. Just to show my face and interest. The guy didn't even know this was show. Neither did the rest of the dealership. They shat their pants. I will say, if these release stateside, i am gonna buy one. Regardless if it is a 510 or not, its what im going for.

 

Well what did you expect it's still a fresh concept meaning it can take years to get into production IF it even makes it that far, so as far as we know it could just be an idea which is what a lot of concepts are.

[HRH]

I hold my views.  The ass and nose look hideous.  The front end looks like a 510 that ran into a loading dock and smushed itself flat to the height of two 510 front end's worth.  The rear end looks as though someone squished the sides in and added an ass from a Mitsubishi Eclipse.  If I wanted an ass the size of J.Lo's, I'd go date Latin women!!

[MicroMachinery]

 

 

 

This just looks like a sentra to me.

 

 

 

They made a new 510 in 1991:

 

 

Nailed it. I thought I was the only one that recognized a slightly modded B13.

[HRH]

Okay, this actually gives me confidence:

 

 

 

DesignerD said:
It’s fantastic to hear everyone’s thoughts and passionate pleas (negative and positive) about this project. It was damn hard not to do the obvious all-out retro retake and obviously doing something random and calling it 510 would be suicide!

To put in into some form of context, you’re seeing an ideal situation of the two extremes, cars that would hit both sides of the argument…. In terns of taste and style only. Sure, in general it’s channeling not only the late 60s but also the early 70s and we didn’t specifically want just 510 hints (so there’s flashes of 610, skylines, etc) but also a bit of muscle… If it had been too clean, I’m sure we’d have caught flak for not being strong enough. To get that amount of muscle on the Freeflow and still sit those wicked 18s and seat 4 people comfortably is hard to do these days!

Styling wise, we explored a lot of what people have been saying. Hopefully you will see that one day soon. For example, a clean through c-pillar was looked at but we have some “brand icons” that for modern Nissans we want to keep. Maybe a 4 door would need it.

As for the general shape, we really wanted a small 3 box volume … That in itself is very indicative of the period, and for some that would be enough. But obviously it’s a car which also needs details to complete the story and both Freeflow and Nismo show these off to specific tastes. The inspiration came mainly from minimalist architecture (google the Metabolist architects from the 60s… The same period as when the 510 was made) which really helped to plant the feeling of the car. The beige doesn’t show off just how well worked and subtle the surfaces are (whereas the Nismo sits perfectly with the stripes describing the unique body side) so perhaps another colour would help… All suggestions welcome! With the architecture came a healthy dose of strong automotive sculpture and modern graphic understanding. I could go on and on about how balanced the car is and anyone who knows about the golden ratio will see how cleaver the team has been not to over volume or over proportion any major element next to another.

I really want to see it signed off, and with your help we can make it happen. And I’m glad you like the wheels too. It wouldn’t be right to ignore where it came from.

Thank you to all of you for your comments above… We’re keen readers of this blog and many others, so we’ve been taking notes on what you all want. So keep up the passion and thoughts and I hope you like our passion and products

Best regards,

D@Nissan

 

This is off the JNC forum feedback, which has gained quite a bit since I replied with my argument for kill it with fire.  My comments were this:

 

 

 

Matt Albertson said:
If the car had 4 inches chopped out of the middle and the halves mated, it would be much better. It looks like a f***ing box van with the squattiness! If you were going to desecrate a legend, you couldn’t do much worse. The entire front end looks taller than my D21 for Pete’s sake! So does the ass end! If the car were 6 inches wider, the proportions would be correct, and it might look like a shorter Challenger or something.

As it is now, it looks like ass! We all know the BRZ/FRS was the 240sx that never came, and now Nissan is offering this to compete with it? Seriously? Where is Teruo Uchino when you need him? I swear by all that’s holy, if Nissan keeps missing the mark, I’m going to start buying domestic! What was Nissan in the beginning? That’s right, the SMALL car company, not the 5 pounds of shit in a 10 pound bag company. The 510, the 620, the 720, even the D21 hardbody had pleasing features and nice lines. Since then it’s been the apocalypse.

Did I mention the new Titan with an awesome motor that’s due to come out? And what do they do there? They make the front end larger than a Chevy Silverado, with a 2 foot front overhang that will surely catch on every available rock in the ORV park, and looks hideously ugly to boot. It seems the “build up” philosophy has found it’s way into this new IDX whatever, as in, let’s not make it streamlined, lets just stack crap on top of crap with a big 6 inches of void to put a plastic panel in that serves no purpose. While we’re at it, let’s get that good crash rating and we’ll stick a nose on it half the length of the vehicle. In fact, let’s stick the front wheels about mid-vehicle, and leave nothing but nose ahead, and fill it with nerf foam. THERE’S A GOOD IDEA!!!

Seriously, Nissan needs to revisit the drawing table before they go green light with this box van with an angled roof. It is not attractive, it is not a 510, it is not something that will last or be desirable in the future in it’s current state. The BRZ/FRS is, take a cue from that. It actually looks pretty decent, and the proportions work well with the car. This IDX is no where near that level. Fix it. Please, for the love of God fix it or I’m selling my 510, my hardbodies, and buying a Mustang.

 

The fact that they're paying attention to the good and bad is at least good.  I still stand by my rant from last night though.  I'm still worked up about it.  There were paragraphs in there, but they were in a different form field and didn't seem to carry over.

 

And if they would have made the B13 Sentra RWD and given it the non US big bumpers, they would have sold the shit out of them much moreso than they did.  It was indeed a 510, just wrong drivetrain.

[datzenmike]

Save your breath Matt. They either don't care or if they do it's all talk that won't change anything anyway. I no longer give two rusty fucks what car makers turn out. "They all look like electric shavers" Concept cars are like those fashion show runway models. They wear outrageous fashions by designers that no woman in her right mind would buy let alone wear out in public. Everybody together now... OOOooooh AAAHhhhhh. It's to generate hype and talk about Nissan is all. There's an old saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity. 

 

So go ahead Nissan/Renault do your worst, just don't call it anything remotely Datsun.  

[MicroMachinery]

All this emotion over a car that doesn't even exist..

[datzenmike]

YUP!!! That's what concepts are all about. Drum up or gauge interest just like fashion shows.

[bonvo]

yeah well i plan to hit my local nissan dealership and tell them to make it 

[MicroMachinery]

Guess I'm completely out of the loop on Fashion Show protocol. Thanks for filling me in.

[Nissan_Boy85]

Nissan is building the IDx to compete with FR-S/BR-Z. I've heard its coming with either a 2.5L inline 4 with 5-speed or a 1.6L turbo with 6-speed, both of that will be RWD. I don't particularly care for the design but remember, THIS IS A CONCEPT, not a final product. I like the idea that auto manufactures are bringing back smaller 4 cylinder rear wheel drive cars. Not everyone can afford the displacement of a ZR-1 or a GT-R. If something similar comes out, it will be on my list of vehicles to test drive, for sure.

[Spoona_Jay21]

as the next generation of Nissan enthusiast (which is where this is aimed too) it is a good looking car, YES it needs more work. shorter and a little wider would be nice, but as a whole a great CONCEPT.

 

Think of this, You are designing a car, what group of people would you be designing for? keep a few things in mind

-The youth IS THE FUTURE

-HIGH profits need to be made

-Cost efficiancy

 

Now, with these things in mind, would you design it for a 45 year old male who reminices of old times in his first car(not trying to stereotype, just think of it from an auto manufacturers point of view)? OR would you do as Toyota did and design it for the YOUNGER group, between the ages of 18-30? Which group is more willing to buy new "COOL" cars?in the long run which will make more money?

 

also, keep this in mind, it may not even go into production, it is an IDEA. Remember the KA24DE powered 240Z concept of 99'?

 

 

they were TRYING to bring the old s30 back, but due to a lack of interest(and a bit of trying too hard) it neveer worked and it faded away as most concept cars do.

 

or how about the newest 240Z concept?

 

 

it was a damn good design, that would have appealed to many (including myself), but even then, there was bitching in our community of mostly older males, that it just wasn't right. in the end GM fucked that one up for us so it didn't even make it past these stages.

 

think of this. the new Challenger, Mustang, Camaro, and Fiat 500, may have good retro styling, but they are able to Appeal to BOTH groups. the young kids who could probably never afford the classic Vehicle, AND the older guys who want one for Reminiscing.

 

Either way, as said previously, the 510 2dr sedan coming back, is pretty much a joke. it isn't goin to happen so that we ALL can agree. and it happened already with the B13 Sentra. it embodied everything the 510 stood for. Cheap, reliable, easily modifiable, in multiple forms for multiple groups of people, although front drive it was the 510 of the 90's. now days, things are too techy and we CAN'T design something like the 510 or the B13, we rely too much on soo many things that would take the soul out of it.

 

 

“The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.”

                                                                                           -Lao Tzu (ancient Chinese philosopher)

[HRH]

Nissan: Read my lips, if you use the 1.6 turbo out of the juke and put in a CVT, you will fail miserably.  Use the big boy engine and give it a 5 speed, NOT a 6 speed, they're usually too close together for autocross.  Think of this new concept as if you had left the SR20DET in stateside 240sx' back in '89.

 

As far as car makers go Mike, I honestly don't care if it's NOT a 510.  If they're going to try and compete with the BRZ/FRS (insert obligatory "Fuck Toyota" statement here), they're going to need something more aerodynamic.  A 510 is a brick.  The IDX concept is also a brick.  I imagine if you put the PL510 in the wind tunnel and the current IDX, the PL510 would actually fair better aerodynamically.  Shit, the cores support is only about 16 inches high.  That IDX looks to be about 30 inches or so.