NYC teens design $9,000 Nissan econocar
Nissan's got the right idea when it comes to sussing out what young urban car buyers want: ask them. It's more than just a focus group, though. Nissan actually worked with 18 New York teenagers to educate them about the car design process and how to spot trends. The automaker has teamed up with Sweat Equity Enterprises to give teenagers from underprivileged backgrounds a taste of the huge cornucopia of opportunities there are in the world. Six different teams competed to design the winning concept, the prize being a model of the winner. The teens turned out such impressive and clever ideas for a $9000 car that all the concepts will be brought to digital life as animated digital mockups.
An elemental three-box in fetching metallic orange dubbed the Pure came out on top. Team member Stewie Jones explained that the idea was to make the Pure a spiritual successor to the Datsun 510, trading on the same type of goodwill that sells MINIs, and building on legend like Nissan's done with generations of Skyline. Nissan gets the inside scoop on what urban youth really wants, and that's a commendably simple and effective concept. We'll get our chance to ogle the scale model of the Pure at SEMA's expansive event next week, and we wish that someone had rewarded us for incessantly drawing cars in high school, instead of dooming all of our best work to the trashbin.
[Source: New York Times via Kicking Tires]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ksrwhlm 8:47AM (10/24/2007)
Looks like almost like an updated 510 without beating the retro-styled thing to death. I'd be seen in that car, you know if it were 1:1 scale...
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Tommy 8:48AM (10/24/2007)
lol at the kid on the right
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Brett- BMW Advocate 8:55AM (10/24/2007)
lol, he looks pissed because he's probably the won that designed it and no one gave him credit.
Brett- BMW Advocate 8:54AM (10/24/2007)
Congrats to the winners BUT I guess I should have entered also, I would've won this with playdouh and building blocks. Oh and the color... Gig Em!
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k.w.a 8:54AM (10/24/2007)
hahaha the kid on the right is really a spy from Toyota hahaha
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Chris 9:01AM (10/24/2007)
All the sophistication and style of a garbage truck. These are hideous, especially that square sided Hummer/Escalade pickup thing that looks like it was made out of a cereal box and a shoebox with some Elmers glue.
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John R 9:09AM (10/24/2007)
Nissan should totally redesign the Sentra with these kids' 510 concept in mind. There is something to be said about an economy car that actually looks good. Read: Mazda 3.
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TheOne442 9:28AM (10/24/2007)
Looks like they designed a small 300.
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Steve 9:29AM (10/24/2007)
If Nissan builds it like these kids designed it, with decent power and handling, I'll be one of the first at their door to get one! Awesome looking!
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Steve 9:33AM (10/24/2007)
...And if they make it AWD with gobs of power, I believe it will blow the doors off of sales of Subarus, Minis, Golfs, Masda3s, etc., etc.
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FThorn 9:46AM (10/24/2007)
sorry. hideous. why give awards for crap?
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Cypher09 9:51AM (10/24/2007)
Why is it that the big auto companies can't see the obvious? Who woulda thunk kids would design a modernized 510 with 20" TE-37 Volks?
Nissan should bring back the Datsun name and sell a spiritual successor to the 510 and 240z.
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John R 11:21PM (10/24/2007)
Ahhh. A Nissan answer to toyota's Scion. that could be interesting.
chucktownbB 10:07AM (10/24/2007)
All very interesting. I'm impressed with the fact that most of the kids were thinking out side the three box design ,winner excluded. The 510 was a sweet car.I can see where the retro would draw a lot of fans.
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mk 12:06PM (10/24/2007)
The ones other than the winner (the copper 2-door) are ugly. I am not feeling ANY of those.
The copper one is the winner, but still not great. in the 21's century, manufacturing and materials are such that you don't have to make a car look like a cardboard box.
The fender flares look decent, and the car looks normal, but almost too bland, especially on the front.
more raked front and back glass would be a start.
The other thing is the short doors. This thing looks like a 4-door sedan, with the rear doors welded shut. Why such short doors? Most two-doors have longer doors for easier entry and exit, since there isn't a need for two more doors to fit on the side of the car.
Not bad. But could improve.
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Stephen 11:03AM (10/24/2007)
Wow, I like that a lot. It's so simple with just the right amount of flare. It'd be a great car to drive if they kept it small and LIGHT.
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dan 12:18PM (10/24/2007)
Yes, 18 year old underprivileged diversity really buys a lot of cars these days....
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7d2510 12:24PM (10/24/2007)
I drive a 72 510, and I didn't make the purchase because I like the classic car appeal - it's because there's nothing comparable in the new car market. Small economy sedans just don't exist anymore. Selling points of the 510 were: light weight, rear wheel drive, four doors, simplicity, and parts interchangeability. Nissan should be taking notes on the Mini Cooper program - the spirit of a cult classic ressurected, sold with a low base price and lots of available options. I'd envision a reborn 510 to be rear-wheel drive, lighter than the Versa, and looking pretty much like the model above. Hopefully market research comes to the same conclusion.
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naggs 1:00PM (10/24/2007)
i would totally buy a new 510, that would be freakin awesome
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Paul 1:11PM (10/24/2007)
To all the people with negative comments, please show YOUR designs. Come on, put them up on the web and post a link. We would all like to see them. If high school kids can do it you must be able to.
Until you do that you have no right to criticize these kids, there is some good stuff in there. I've seen MUCH worse from the car companies themselves.
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