Nissan's Funky Land Glider Concept May Find its Way to the States as an Infiniti

As a rule, futuristic concept models of the likes of the Nissan Land Glider never see the light of production. But the Land Glider may very well be the exception to the rule as the Japanese automaker admitted from the beginning that it is actually thinking of producing the two-seater electric model. Furthermore, according to a new report from Automotive News, company insiders claim that Nissan is considering to add the narrow four-wheeler to the Infiniti brand lineup in global markets, including the U.S.

Takashi Nakajima, director of exploratory design for Nissan told the news site that the Land Glider could interest an array of buyers, including those looking for a safe alternative to a motorcycle or for a vehicle that is easy to park in congested cities such as Tokyo and Los Angeles.

The Land Glider concept that will make its world premiere at this week's Tokyo Motor Show can seat two passengers in tandem that are enclosed in a glass dome ceiling with power being provided by two electric motors at the rear. It's most unique feature is its tilting body that can lean up to 17 degrees for better cornering. Click here to watch the Land Glider in action.

Via: Autoblog.com , Source: Autonews

VIDEO: Nissan's Land Glider Concept in Motorcycle-Like Leaning Action

By far one of the quirkiest concept cars set to make their public debut at this month's 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, is Nissan's Land Glider concept. Part motorcycle, part car, all squeezed together in a package no wider than 1.1 meters or 43.3-in., the Land Glider can seat two passengers in tandem. It is powered by two electric motors at the rear but the most prominent feature of the pint-size concept is the computer controlled steering system that leans the car into the turns. You can see it in action in the video after the jump.

Tokyo '09: Nissan Says New Land Glider Concept isn't Just Another Design Study...

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Nissan's Tokyo Motor Show-bound Land Glider concept car is the that the Japanese automaker says that the two-seater electric model "should not be regarded as a mere design study" and that it "gives a clear direction to how a future small car from Nissan could look in congested cities." Then again, "clear direction" could be translated in many different ways...

In any case, the ultra slim Land Glider measures just 3,100 mm in length, 1,100mm in width and 1,415mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,180mm and can seat two passengers in a tandem layout.

The four wheeler concept is driven by two electric motors in the rear that are powered by lithium-ion batteries mounted beneath the floor. The concept features steering-by-wire and a lean capability when cornering - just like a motorcycle. The company claims that the vehicle can tilt through corners up to an angle of 17 degrees.

All of this is done automatically as the Land Glider employs sensors for vehicle speed, steering angle and yaw rate to instantly calculate the tilt angle necessary to "negotiate" a corner.

Other highlights include a car-robotics style crash avoidance system that utilizes special sensors mounted in the body to detect other vehicles or obstacles and steer the Land Glider away from them.

Nissan R-TX Concept Study for the Race-Track Enthusiast

One of the concept studies that caught our attention at the 2009 Degree Show at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, UK, was the Nissan R-TX that was penned by design student, Matt Jones. While the sports car's styling is heavily influenced by the Nissan GT-R, what makes this concept proposal pretty interesting is its modular construction.

What we, or rather Jones means is that the driver can remove the vehicle's front, rear and roof panels along with the wraparound front windshield transforming the R-TX from a road-going sports coupe to a KTM X-Bow-like track car.

The designer says that aside from lowering the weight of the sports car and (supposedly) improving its aerodynamics, a key aspect during the design development of the R-TX concept was the driver's emotions.

Source: Swansea University , Via: Carbodydesign

First Teaser Shots of Nissan's Dedicated All-Electric Model, Plus Full Gallery of Tiida EV Prototype

We just discovered the first teaser photos of Nissan's dedicated electric vehicle that is scheduled to be officially unveiled at the firm's Japanese headquarters in Yokohama on Sunday 2 August 2009. Aside from the front quarter picture, we also found a second teaser shot of the yet to be named EV. Though the car is under cover, the photo suggests that the EV will be a five-door hatchback, most likely similar in dimensions to the Tiida.

On Monday, Nissan issued a teaser release that included a single photo of a Tiida prototype based on the EV's all-new platform. We've updated the photo album with new pictures of the test-mule and detailed images of the platform.

According to the Japanese automaker, the five-seater dedicated EV will make use of a fully electric drivetrain comprising of an electric motor that produces 107-horsepower (80kW) and 280Nm or 207 lb-ft of torque moving the front wheels. A 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack positioned under the floor will power the electric motor.

Nissan said that along with the help of the regenerative brake system that charges the battery during deceleration and braking, the EV will have a cruising range of more than 160km or about 260 miles under a full charge. The EV is said to have a top speed in excess of 140 km/h or 90mph+.

The new Electric Vehicle is set to arrive in Japanese and North American showrooms in 2010, with Europe and other major international markets following the next year.

NISSAN EV TEASER SHOTS

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NISSAN TIIDA EV PROTOTYPE & PLATFORM