The Nissan IMs concept, which debuted in Detroit today, is
in the company’s own words an “elevated sports sedan”. It certainly looks that
way, being taller than a typical sedan and riding on massive 22-inch wheels.
The increased height, by the way, has not been necessitated by a raised ride
height, but by the placement of the battery pack under the cabin – yes, this is
an electric vehicle, but more on that later.
The styling of the IMs
emphasises simple horizontal and vertical lines rather than sculpted surfaces,
as evidenced by the bluff fenders, although the deep sculpting in the doors and
the three-dimensional bonnet add some curves back into the design. The
glasshouse is visually separated from the rest of the body, achieved through a
glass roof, thin pillars and flush glazing.
As with the GT-R50 by Italdesign, the IMs features
gold highlights throughout, including the roof rail trim that is said to be
inspired by the ring of an eclipse. A traditional Japanese pattern, Asanoha, is
imprinted on the roof in gold and repeated throughout the rest of the car,
including the wheels.
The suicide doors open through invisible “eClinch”
door handles, and there are no B-pillars to impede entry and egress. Inside,
the IMs adopts a “2+1+2” seating layout – confusing, I know, but it essentially
means that there are five seats, with the centre rear seat taking precedence
over the slim outboard pews. Those outer seats can be folded to become armrests
for the centre seat, turning it into a “Premier Seat”.
At the front, the 3D-printed dashboard adopts a
kumiko structure that Nissan says is lightweight and saves space. Ahead of the
steering wheel sits a dual-layer floating screen that provides only important
information to the driver, who sits on the company’s famed zero-gravity seat;
in autonomous driving mode, the steering wheel retracts and the front seats
pivot to face the rear.
Nissan’s augmented reality technology,
Invisible-to-Visible, also makes its appearance here and enables occupants to
see what may otherwise be hidden from view. Using the Omni-Sensing technology
previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) , it allows drivers,
for example, to see around corners, visualise route information and even have a
three-dimensional avatar keep them company as a “passenger”.
Power comes from a pair of electric motors that
provide all-wheel drive and a combined output of 483 hp and 800 Nm of torque,
while a 113 kWh battery provides an estimated range of 610 km. The air
suspension is claimed to be able to adapt to road conditions, achieving both a
sporty drive and a smooth ride.
