REPORT: Nissan Land Glider could come to the States as an Infiniti
Nissan Land Glider Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Concept cars tend to push the boundaries of what is and isn't possible with a four-wheeled vehicle. Such is the case with the Nissan Land Glider, which is going on display this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. Usually, such far-out-there concepts make the auto show circuit before being abandoned somewhere in the corner of a dark, dingy warehouse, but perhaps not this one.
The machine is sort of a cross between a motorcycle and a car, with an enclosed cabin and four wheels along with a glass canopy and rider compartment that leans into turns for added stability – which is of utmost importance in a car that measures just 47-inches across.
According to Automotive News (sub. req'd), there are some inside the Japanese automaker that suggest the fully electric car could slot into the company's upmarket Infiniti lineup, possibly even making it to the United States. If that happens, the Land Glider may be a single-seater, as the concept's single rear passenger perch may not make it through safety testing.
We'd be pretty surprised to see a production Infiniti Land Glider that keeps the concept's unique layout, but it certainly wouldn't be the only strange-looking eco-friendly automobile to hit the market. We'll see.
Gallery: Nissan Land Glider Concept
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EV-1 7:40PM (10/19/2009)
Lovely little car !
:)
It's just *wonderful* how it leans into the right direction !
And - it's electric !
With an all quiet propulsion, it will be as close to flying as you'll ever get
without actually flying ...
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Nick 8:39PM (10/19/2009)
Love this car. Why do you say it looks "strange" ? Does it look strange to you because it does not look like a "conventional" car?
Imagine how much space could be saved if everyone had one of these.......4-lane roads could become 6-lane roads.....parking lots square footage could be halved (which would mean approx 1/2 of LA...
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Doug 9:24PM (10/19/2009)
47 inches wide. Is that narrow enough to be able to lane split in California? I think the Tango is only 39 inches wide.
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john 10:12PM (10/19/2009)
Look how successful the Piaggio MP3 has been here, that odd vehicle that is not exactly a motorcycle. This Nissan Land Glider is futuristic, but not so far out that it doesn't stand a chance. I think there's a good possibility it will be successful now.
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KK 1:36PM (10/20/2009)
Was that supposed to be sarcasm, or has the Piaggio MP3 really been successful in some parts of the US? I haven't seen one myself, though it's rare to see any type of scooter here in the deep South.
john 3:29PM (10/20/2009)
Ok, maybe "successful" was a bit of an overstatement. I've seen like three or four this past month. Considering I live in a rural area I never expected to see any.
Tohe 10:24PM (10/19/2009)
I'd love to take it for a spin.
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3n1gma 10:37PM (10/19/2009)
These things are begging to roll over. One mechanical failure withe the front wheels and you're doing barrel rolls off a cliff. Plus do we really need single passenger cars? Give me a break.
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Nick 12:14AM (10/20/2009)
"3n1gma 10:37PM (10/19/2009)
Plus do we really need single passenger cars? Give me a break."
Oh yeah its not like everyone one the road drives alone right?..oh wait...
You complete retard
KK 11:07AM (10/20/2009)
> One mechanical failure withe the front wheels
> and you're doing barrel rolls off a cliff.
That's true for any car or motorcycle.
Snoopy 2:15PM (10/20/2009)
To Nick,
Just because 3n1gma doesn't know what he's talking about doesn't mean he's retarded. Ignorance comes in many forms. He could simply be unaware that the majority of cars on the road only contain drivers.
Also, I think he's kind of right about not needing single passenger cars. Having a single passenger car means that you MUST get another car if you want to have even one passenger. A two-seater makes more sense, even if you're going to be driving alone most of the time.
3n1gma,
As far as the rollover thing, KK's right. The inability to steer is the inability to steer, no matter what you're driving.
nrb 11:40PM (10/19/2009)
It has to be an Infiniti. People wouldn't pay $35K for it if it said Nissan.
Btw: I took a swag at the price.
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Thunderbuck 3:28AM (10/20/2009)
The biggest problem with this car, of course, is that it has four wheels.
Three-wheelers like the Aptera (or my personal favorite, the Venture/Persu) manage to get a pass on a lot of regulation because they're classified as motorcycles, but this one will have to achieve full certification. Unless Nissan thinks they might find a loophole.
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Boyprodigy1 1:26PM (10/20/2009)
That's a problem? I mean it will certainly be cost prohibitive but after a while nissan will get pretty good at it and the cost difference will go down. I could park this in my dads truck bed. I would love to have it!
Dan Frederiksen 9:41AM (10/21/2009)
that's not a problem. minor paperwork for nissan.
the problem with the vehicle is they chose a complicated tilting solution that even uses drive by wire and the tilting is both slow which means it will be weak in emergency maneuvering and if you look at the video from the front it doesn't actually shift the center of gravity much thus not gaining significant stability. it's a costly hampering error prone solution where a regular 4 wheel level design would have been superior.
it is my prediction that tiliting will never become widely accepted although I'm sure it's fun to drive.
RAN 12:04PM (10/20/2009)
Despite the pricing advantage of the Infiniti label, I can't see this as an Infiniti. Having said that, I really don't care what they call it. Just give it decent range (100 miles) and decent power (0-60 in 7-8 sec) and speed (@100 MPH).
Bring It, Nissan!
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RAN 12:10PM (10/20/2009)
Oh, and make it REAR WHEEL DRIVE, or it's No Deal.
KK 1:00PM (10/20/2009)
How do you even know you'd prefer RWD? Have you ever driven any type of 4-wheel leaning vehicle, let alone compared RWD and FWD versions?
Boyprodigy1 1:29PM (10/20/2009)
not everyone likes RWD. In Colorado its a lot more sketchy to drive RWD in slick icy conditions. Hence the reason that everyone gets to make Subaru cracks at us. I'll take a FWD vehicle any day of the week over RWD.
Snoopy 2:19PM (10/20/2009)
Same with Toronto. I'd take FWD over RWD any day too, especially in icy conditions.