Nissan Confirms Production Models Coming from IDx Concepts

As you may recall, last month was a big month for automotive enthusiasts. We had not one, not two, but three separate motor shows to cover all in the final week of November. Obviously, some new cars got glossed over. Two of those cars were Nissan’s new IDx Concepts from the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. However, we’re going back to them today because Nissan has just officially confirmed that they will bring both concepts to production.

So, first things first, here are the Nissan IDx Concepts you might’ve missed from last month’s 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.

First, the Nissan IDx Freeflow Concept. It’s designed to reflect “the outlook of people who seek natural and tasteful things in every aspect of their daily lives.”

Next, here’s the Nissan IDx NISMO Concept. This car “exemplifies Nissan’s fresh approach to contemplating car design, and kindles a fire in the hearts of people fond of the good old days of high-performance cars.”

Truth be told, these two concepts came as a surprise to the entirety of the automotive community. Nissan made no mention of the two concepts in any of their press material leading up to the 2013 Tokyo motor show.

Fortunately, we love surprises! And they come so rarely from automakers these days.

As our veteran readers may be able to tell, these two racers are intended to pay homage to the old Datsun 510 racecar. But, they play a more important role than that: Now that they’re confirmed for production, we also know that these coupes will be Nissan’s answer to the dominant Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ triplets.

Both coupes are rear wheel drive only, but we don’t know too much more than that. All we know is that, basically, the IDx Freeflow Concept is supposed to be classy while the IDx NISMO Concept is supposed to be cool. Just compare the interiors below to get a feel for what that means:

Here’s the IDx Freeflow Concept’s interior:

Notice the denim seats? The clean design? The classic, simple steering wheel? The large clock on the display? All of these elements are in place to create an interior that’s cozy, comfortable and refined.

Meanwhile, here’s the IDx NISMO Concept’s interior:

Ah, see? Much more energetic. In characteristic NISMO fashion, the interior features a black and red color scheme, complete with the deep bucket seats, a racing-style steering wheel, and a display that’s more focused on monitoring performance than making the driver feel classy. The IDx NISMO is all about cool.

The cars are nearly identical from the exterior (aside from color), except that the IDx NISMO sits a little lower to the ground with a slightly wider wheelbase. It also features a hood scoop, front air intakes, a small spoiler, performance tires, and several other cool track-oriented features. We’re sure there will be powertrain differences too, but we won’t know for sure until sometime next year.

With any luck, we’ll get to see a production model of the IDx Freeflow and IDx NISMO Concepts sometime early in 2014… Perhaps the 2014 Detroit Auto Show? Let’s hope. Until then, thanks for reading, and come back soon for more Japanese car goodness.