The Nissan Gripz Concept is what we all feared. The 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.
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