Nissan Reveals Gripz Concept, Crossover Inspired From Rally History

Are the rumours true? Is this the new Z? Nissan is taking loads of inspiration from the Rally 240Z from the 70s, but is this a death sentence for the stiff, sportscar Zs?

Is this the 4×4 future of the sports coupé?

Today at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), Nissan revealed the full press treatment for their Gripz concept, a CUV/240Z Mashup Frankenstein type thing, and honestly, it doesn’t seem very awful. Granted these are all concept renders, and many of you should know what Nissan tends to do with those (RIP IDx). However, given the success of Nissan’s other CUV platforms, this one might actually see the light of day. AWD is making a huge resurgence, with Acura announcing that they will be using an AWD drivetrain exclusively in the future. Millennials getting married, having kids, and do not want mini-vans, but they’re probably still interested in a little vehicular fun. So how about a family vehicle with a little hoonability?

Some details

Nissan has claimed inspiration from two vehicles. One is the 240Z “Legendary” rally car, and another is a road bike. You can hear their reasoning in the video before the gallery. If you hate videos they say, they’re paying tribute to a rally legend by increasing the ride height, toughening up the suspension, and painting it in colours that kind of harken back to that livery. The powertrain is claimed to be a hybrid, combining the “PureDrive” philosophy of pairing a small (most likely) 4-banger and the electric motor from the Leaf.

On the inside we’ve got that lovely retro-style steering wheel. Suicide/Lambo combo doors that will most likely not pass a crash test. Racing seats, a roll cage, an almost insect-like frame throughout and… is that a stick I spy there? Could this come with a manual? Perhaps a refreshing change to the trend of flappy-paddles and DCTs. Further inspiration from a road bicycle can be found in the thin (maybe hollow) tubes all around, that steering wheel cover, and they claim the hints of carbon fibre.

The highlight of this big reveal was their very CGI, Gran-Turismo meets I Am Legend meets Princess Mononoke animation to demonstrate that this is a road car that can indeed go over some bumps. Which seems a little contrary to their racing road-bike inspirations. Anyways, check the video and let us know your opinion, and as always enjoy the huge gallery.