Nissan Wants to Replace the Z With a Crossover Inspired by a Pedal Bike [Video]
The Nissan Gripz Concept is what we all feared. The pseudo two-door vehicle, which takes inspiration from a bicycle, is the result of Nissan’s designers wanting to create “something free of conventional standards” — which is a crossover, apparently.
Executive Design Director, Mamoru Aoki, says Nissan has “a history of pioneering new crossovers.” Nissan also has a history of creating sports cars. This is where the two might, quite unfortunately for us, collide.
“The traditional two-seater sports car is evolving and this is our interpretation of its future,” said Senior Creative Design Manager Giovanny Arroba in the video showing the Gripz attacking a city in ruins.
Nissan used their racing cars from the ’70s as an inspiration, with its long hood and sleek silhouette, in addition to the aforementioned road bike. However, it’s those road bike influences that structure the look of the interior and turn holding a steering wheel into a pseudo bicycle tire-changing exercise.
Under the hood isn’t any better for purists. The Gripz concept is powered by Nissan’s “Pure Drive” e-Power series hybrid system, the combination of a gas engine paired with the electric motor from the Nissan Leaf. Goodbye, VQ37 V-6.
And if there is one more nail in the coffin for the Z car as we know it, it’s this line:
This configuration delivers smooth, swift and linear acceleration in near-silence, with supreme efficiency.
The days of attainable sports cars at Nissan are over.
More by Mark Stevenson
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SUV/Crossover sport design 2 door. Historically, 2 door SUV or CUV's tend to not sell. Isuzu Vehicross? Even the new Range Rover Evoq 2 door is a poor seller. In fact, I have yet to see one on the road. Other coupe AWD sport vehicles, like the Subaru SVX had to be killed. Although, it tried it's best. The Juke sells because it has 4 doors...anything else is simply a waste. PS. Just keep the current formula for the Z. It's part of it's appeal.
I'm not adverse to the idea of a coupe inspired crossover, but the execution and design of the gripz is dreadful. The video nearly made me gag, but at least we now know who's responsible for this mess. The fact that they openly admit they cribbed key industrial design elements from another vehicle (bicycle) is disappointing and points to a lack of originality. Volvo Concept XC Coupe, Audi Nanuk Quattro, and Subaru Cross Sport Concept were all much better designs.