[ATTACH] [ATTACH] Then Nissan showed up.....
I like the exterior, although it reminds me of a nice mash-up of a few other cars. The interior doesn't do it for me. It feels cold and impersonal. I like to feel cocooned and snuggled in a car, whereas that doesn't look comfortable. Too many straight edges on things make it seem more German than Italian. I honestly didn't think bike manufacturers ever put much effort into aesthetics - most bikes look the same to me. The fact that they're got a full design team making clay models was actually a surprise. All the best, Andrew.
Since tires seem to be on a roll around here as a design statement, here are some Goodyear glow in the dark tires outfitted to a late 1950s concept car (Golden Sahara II):
No, no contradiction from me, for sure. It's hideous. Looks like it was done over the course of 80 years by 47 different people, none of whom were allowed to see each others' work first.
Autoweek has a series of pictures on their website. This Nissan strikes me as having some very interesting design thoughts but then not coming together like it should. That then triggered a thought based upon the Autoweek images (all renderings), could it be that Nissan's design leadership lacks the ability to see past the best renderings/presentations to find the best designs? One would think this is an absolutely required trait of senior design leadership but the reality is that it is not necessarily true. At least this one is a massive improvement over almost all the current Nissan designs.
My impression is that they (management) may be trying too hard. Their multiple novel design "ideas" seem to be competing with one another with the result that the total package gets only a "meh." On the other hand, the front end reminds me of the newly released RAV4 and the flying roof "C" pillar of the Lexus RX.
Personally, concept cars are regressing aesthetically to a point where all essentially "look" the same.
Yes, Nissan (and they are not the only offender) are trying too hard. But, my point is that looking at a number of the cars that have gone to production from Nissan over the last some years, if is making me wonder if their Design leadership is making design direction decisions based upon the best renderings on the wall. One would normally expect that the top Design leadership would be able to sift through a wall of design proposals (renderings and sketches) to find the very best to develop. To do that requires that those leaders are looking past the most beautiful renderings of what are really crap design to what could be a lesser quality presentation level. One would normally be thinking that that is an absolute minimum requirement of anyone that has moved into those leadership ranks. Unfortunately, the reality is that those with the ability to look past the fanciest presentations may not be the ones that have ascended. The story from way back is that when Syd Mead was hired out of Art Center is was because of his rendering ability. Syd eventually moved on because he came to the realization that they did not value him for his designs; he was doing the presentation art of other designers designs.
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I'm digging that high, sticky-outy nose bit. It's a lot more interesting to me than a lot of the massive front ends we see on cars & SUVs these days.
Thanks for posting. Wonder about that rear diffuser- looks like either dual rudders on a boat or black exhaust clouds to obscure a getaway. Image Unavailable, Please Login