Nissan’s Mixim Concept Car in detail

“The look and feel of the interior’s soft-skin over an aluminium frame was inspired by ‘Japanimation’,” says Inoue. “These features are central to the driving experience for this digital age.”

Ahead of the driver is a U-shaped wheel complete with switches for audio and communication functions. Beneath the deep windscreen there’s a wraparound LCD instrument panel housing an information display.

As well as expected data – vehicle speed, distance covered, power usage and so on – the display includes an advanced mapping system. More than simple turn-by-turn satellite navigation, the display uses a forward-facing camera to give the driver an accurate ‘real-time’ depiction of the road ahead.

The panel also incorporates a virtual representation of the front wheels. This is linked to real-time movement of the steering wheel to give the driver the impression of being in control of a single-seat racing car. From a steering input point of view that’s not too wide of the mark: Mixim needs just half a turn to go from lock to lock.

“This on-board camera shows not just the road ahead but also the angle and direction of the front wheels. Seeing this, the driver will be convinced he or she is sitting in the cockpit of an F1 car!” says Inoue.

There are no rear-view mirrors. Instead, the view behind Mixim is relayed to the driver via two cameras mounted where the door mirrors are usually found. The resulting images are displayed on the outer edges of the central panel.

It all adds up to what Bancon refers to as: “The unexpected driving experience.”

But with space for two (or occasionally three) friends this is neither a selfish nor egotistical machine. “Members of the younger generation are very sociable, but until now they tend to conduct their social activities through the virtual world. With Mixim they can now interact as humans again,” says Bancon.

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