As you might be able to tell from those wheel arches, it’s very unlikely that this all-electric, three-door hot-hatch concept will ever make production. Boo. Come on, Nissan, you know you want to.
Known as the Nissan Concept 20-23, this thing has been designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in London, and we’re told it’s inspired by Formula E, online sim racing, and Nissan’s hatchback heritage.
“The young team here at NDE was given a simple brief: design a fun, electric city car that you’d like to drive every day in London,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design. “The 20-23 Concept that they designed is a compact hatchback which is strongly influenced by the online racing world. I love the story it tells about how the worlds of modern city living, online gaming and zero emissions mobility intersect.”
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The concept features some serious aero addenda with a hefty front lip spoiler, ultra-wide arches, and that huge rear wing. And we’re not quite sure what that roof scoop is feeding air to, but it looks cool. There’s a clean look to the LED lighting front and rear, too, which perhaps could be one part of the 20-23’s design that makes production in the future.
Huge wheels and low-profile tires mark this out as a hot hatch, although Nissan hasn’t bothered to fit the Concept 20-23 with a powertrain of any sort. We’re simply told that it’s all-electric and both ‘sporty’ and ‘urban.’
There is an interior, though, which is accessed through scissor doors and features white bucket seats, a squared-off steering wheel, and not much else. This is apparently where the Formula E influence comes in, with the bare cockpit displaying just the essential information with ‘minimal distractions.’ The wheel itself is mounted on a carbon-fiber steering column that looks very motorsporty.
Quite the dramatic design overall, isn’t it? And possibly a sign that Nissan is thinking about giving its designers a little bit of free rein in this all-electric future? Although, strip away all the wings and add in a proper interior, and this could almost be a cute little three-door hatchback that’s smaller than the Leaf and rivals things like the Fiat 500 electric.
Make it happen Nissan, and then don’t forget about the hot version.
More photos of the Nissan Concept 20-23:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
