Nissan IDx Concepts Preview a Scion FR-S Rival

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood
Nissan is previewing a possible future rival for the Scion FR-S with the iDx concept unveiled today at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Built for Gen Y, or what Nissan calls “digital natives”, two different versions of the same car point towards two unique audiences. The first is the IDx Freeflow concept, built for lifestyle buyers, while the second is the iDx NISMO designed for those in search of a unique and affordable sports car.

In many ways its a modern-era 240SX, though with styling cues that are unmistakably those of the Datsun 510. Dimensionally the cars are roughly 13.5 feet long by 5.7 feet wide by 4.3 feet tall.

The IDx NISMO borrows from classic Nissan models and features a unique reverse-slanted nose and aggressive side exit exhaust pipes. Racing heritage is undeniable in the car with plenty of motorsports styled body panels and big 19-inch wheels. In essence, it looks straight out of a racing video game.

Powering the car is a turbocharged 1.6-liter direct injection 4-cylidner mated to a CVT with a 6-speed manual shift mode and what Nissan calls “synchronized rev control.”

Assumedly a rear-wheel drive sports car, Nissan has not explicitly said as much.

On the more conservative side is the IDx Freeflow that forms the basis of the more extreme NISMO model with a unique floating roof design but with otherwise simple boxy shape and Spartan interior.

Nissan says this model, should it see production, would be powered by an engine sized from 1.2 to 1.5-liters and using a CVT.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Tokyo Motor Show Coverage

As for the odd name, the “ID” stands for “identification” which Nissan says relates, “to the things all individuals relate to on a personal level in a car,” while the “x” is the variable, “representing the new values and dreams born through communication.”

Stopping just short of confirming the cars for production, as sign of just how serious Nissan is about its new sports car concepts, in a release it says both cars, “could have real applications in the near future.”

GALLERY: Nissan IDx Concepts Live Shots

GALLERY: Nissan IDx Concepts

Discuss this story at our Nissan forum.

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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  • Dog1net Dog1net on Nov 21, 2013

    Everytime I park my NIssan Altima Coupe next to a Scion, it makes me happy knowing I didn't get one. Not sure what Nissan is thinking with this concept car, but I know I won't go anywhere near it. Looks like crap.

  • Hurr durr Hurr durr on Nov 28, 2013

    This would be amazing if it had three pedals and a proper 6-speed gearbox. A CVT with 6 artificial fixed ratios? Even a regular CVT is better than that. This is worst of both worlds.

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