What's the news?
To say we weren't expecting these is something of an understatement. Nissan has been wowing us with ultra-futuristic concept cars of late (BladeGlider anyone), but no-one had expected it to go all retro on us. But in spite of being designed to appeal to Generation -Y (or 'digital natives' as Nissan would have it) there's no getting away from the fact that both inside and out, the two IDx concepts are major throwbacks to the classic Datsun Violet of the sixties and seventies. And this despite the fact that the bumf accompanying the release speaks of 'clean-sheet design' and 'a car without legacy influences.' Yeah, right - this is unquestionably Nissan sniffing around the idea of 'doing a Mini' and seeing what the public reaction is.
Frankly, it's hard to see the reaction being anything but positive. Inside and out, both IDx versions have a gorgeous retro-futuristic look to them (a hint of Fiat 131 in the side profile?). The Freeflow is the version for urban hipsters - trendy buy useful, and designed "to feel like a living room inside a car where the owner and his or her friends can relax."
There is lots of metal and natural wood plus analogue instruments in the cabin, while the compact 4.1-metre length clearly indicates that these cars are designed to slot in and out of tight urban spaces. The mix of white, black and khaki colour schemes is meant to reflect a classic t-shirt-and-chinos style and while no-one's talking seriously about production just yet, Nissan has casually mentioned that a 1.2- or 1.5-litre petrol engine would slot right in.
The Nismo version of the IDx has been created to appeal to gamers whose first experience of driving is usually on Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport. Compared to the Freestyle, it gets carbon body panels, a red and black interior with competition-style seats and racing harnesses, 19-inch wheels and the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine already seen in the Juke Nismo. This time at least, Nissan acknowledges the retro influences on the design, saying that "this machine's soul-stirring design echoes the racing car imagery of the past united with the buzz digital natives get from the virtual world they know well." Indeed, whatever about gamers and PlayStation heads appreciating this car, anyone who remembers Nissan's East Africa Safari Rally successes with the old Violet rally cars will instantly recognise the shape, colour scheme and cabin of the IDx Nismo.
Anything else?
Well, will Nissan make these cars for production? There's no firm word as yet, but Nissan will doubtless be looking at the success MINI, Fiat, Citroen and others have had by raiding the back catalogue and the premium pricing for this type of car, not to mention the options list that usually comes with them, will be seriously tempting. The last time Nissan made a pure retro model it was the Micra-based Figaro, which sold out, became a collectors' item and still changes hands for significant sums. Hopefully that memory will push Nissan into finding a suitable compact rear-drive platform and putting the IDx into production. Datsun badges, anyone?