Design student creates new diesel hybrid Datsun 240Z concept

Once upon a time cars made by the Nissan Motor Co. actually wore the Datsun brand rather than that of the parent company. In 1986 Nissan finally retired the Datsun brand in favor of its own name but not before creating an iconic sports car in the form of the Datsun 240Z. Design student Benjamin Nawaka has created a four door coupe called XLink that is supposed to capture the essence of the 240Z. Aside from having four wheels, it's not clear how the original Z inspired this new concept. There don't seem to be any elements of the original car brought into this new design. Regardless of what you might think of the aesthetics of the concept above, it has some enticing powertrain elements. The XLink is reportedly concieved around a diesel hybrid powertrain. It's not known if Nissan has any intention of ever producing a car like this, but they have both diesel engines and hybrid system in development for a 2010 launch. Will they combine the two? who knows? It's fun to contemplate though.

[Source: AutoExpress]