Twenty years of innovation and successes, giving life to extraordinary projects such as Qashqai and Juke which changed the world of cars. This is, in part, Nissan Design Europe, the London center where over 60 designers and creatives work to create the prototypes of the cars that we will then see populating the streets. And today it celebrates its twentieth anniversary and naturally it could not do so except with a new revolutionary project. Let’s see together what it consists of Nissan Concept 20-23…
Nissan Concept 20-23, the electric future revealed in style
Was Makoto Uchida, President & CEO of Nissan, to unveil the new concept directly from a floating structure located in front of the NDE headquarters. And so we were finally able to discover the project that it was carefully studied right from the name. In fact, that 20-23 does not only indicate the year we are in. In fact, the first two digits are a reference to twentieth anniversary of Nissan Design Europewhile the latter hark back to the company’s origins. The numbers 2 and 3 in Japanese are in fact pronounced “ni” and “san” and the result is obvious.
Nissan Concept 20-23 starts from the company’s iconic compact carsto project them into the future with an eye to Formula E. This is particularly noticeable in the presentation of the cockpit, a futuristic version of a racing car. Few screens and only the essential information always displayed, to reduce distractions to a minimum on the track as well as on city streets where attention is equally relevant.
Yes, because the initial inspiration, reworked by the studio’s youngest designers, was precisely to create a vehicle that was perfect for moving around in an urban environment. This without giving up an exciting and sporty look, starting from the doors that open upwards like scissors. From here, access to seats that they recall those of racing cars in enveloping shapes, but with a decidedly higher level of comfort.
But then let’s say it, just look at this Nissan Concept 20-23 to be fascinated. We are faced with a compact model, but which gives a sensation of incredible dynamism. The slender nose equipped with two LED headlights already makes us imagine a cut through the air. The same style is replicated on the back, which appears decidedly aggressive, crowned with a spoiler which closes the package.
Nissan Concept 20-23 looks like a one-off
The idea behind the gray finish that covers this concept is to give the impression of a single piece of metal, from which the car was sculpted. Standing out, in the final part is a circle that encloses a 23, almost as if to represent the car’s race number in the continuous game of references between the city car and the world of track racing.
On the sides we can see one reinforcement bar, covered in foam, which passengers will have to climb over to enter. Pay attention to protections, but also to sporty feeling, to feel entirely enveloped by the Nissan Concept 20-23. The same sensations that come from the steering wheel, characterized by a long column and the peculiar rectangular shapefrom which we can access all the main commands comfortably.
Alfonso AlbaisaSenior Vice President, Global Design Nissan, commented on the presentation of the Nissan Concept 20-23:
“The NDE team was given a simple task: to design a fun and ideal electric city car for young people to travel around London. The Concept 20-23 designed is a compact car strongly influenced by the world of online racing. The story it tells is appreciable, of how the dimensions of modern life, zero-emission mobility and even the stylistic features of online games intersect in the city.”
Twenty years of history for Nissan Design Europe
The presentation to the world of Nissan Concept 20-23 it is, as we said, part of the celebrations for the twentieth anniversary of Nissan Design European iconic studio, where many of the car manufacturer’s models were born.
This space developed at starting from a British Rail mechanical workshop, which fell into disrepair in the 1990s and became a place for clandestine parties. Nissan took up the challenge of restructuring, transforming it into a unique center, ideal for stimulate the creativity of artists who work there.
Here they have available all the necessary tools to find the perfect inspiration from the world of ideas and make it reality. In fact, there are machines for rapid prototyping, life-size plates for refining clay models, virtual reality systems for collaborating even from great distances and even a 5 axis milling machine.
And that’s right thanks to these toolsTogether with collaborations between creatives, exterior and interior designers, clay modelers, digital artists and color and finish experts, Nissan’s most iconic vehicles are born. Here were the first ideas of light commercial NV2000l’Ariya Single Seater Conceptil Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo and of course the aforementioned ones Qashqai e Juke.
Matthew WeaverVice President NDE, celebrates the twenty-year milestone in this way:
“At Nissan Design Europe, we are a relatively small team that has always stood out for its boldness and ability to innovate, and of which I am particularly proud. At the heart of NDE’s culture is a warm, collaborative environment where we all strive to make a contribution that our customers appreciate. Our goal is to make them fall in love with a Nissan.”