“In the United States we have to serve up hamburgers, but we serve them with a Japanese twist. So, they look exactly like hamburgers but maybe under the skin they will be lighter or they will have a more sophisticated taste. If, however, we decide to serve yakitori, then they will be Japanese one hundred percent, even if they are exported to the USA. Shifting to motor cars, the Titan is our hamburger, the Cube yakitori!”. This passage in the interview with Shiro Nakamura explains the Nissan brand’s approach to factors like globalisation and market specificity. An approach that can be sought and found in the four concepts presented at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Pivo
Although it is undeniably distanced from reality, the Pivo conquered the public with its attractive, rounded forms and with its cab that rotates 360 degrees.
GTR Proto
This will be the first Nissan ever to be sold globally but it is one of the most ‘Japanese’ models the Tokyo manufacturer has ever presented. After various editions of the prototype, in 2001 and 2003 it seems that this really is the car destined to reach the markets in 2007.
Amenio
In Japan the minivan is an institution and the Amenio celebrates its authentic motor car side in which it is a pleasure not only to travel as a passenger but also take in the pure sensation of being at the wheel of a driver-oriented luxury vehicle.
Foria
The Foria is a study for a small coupé with rather retro but very subtle charm which would probably be a hit in Japan. The same exploration of refined elegance underlies the work done on the interiors, where the dark shades of the natural leather which covers most of the dash, the door panels and the central tunnel, dominate the environment.
The article continues in Auto & Design no. 156
