Nissan's Biggest Mistake

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BECOME A PATRON: patreon.com/BarchettaMedia BECOME A YOUTUBE MEMBER www.youtube.com/channel/UCZCB8ChAn8PQXzONCi193FQ/join SOURCES www.barchetta.co/nissan-idx-sources TIMESTAMPS 0:00 INTRO 1:37 DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 4:27 DESIGN OVERVIEW 10:34 CONFIRMED FOR PRODUCTION 12:18 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOUR 15:00 DEVELOPMENT TROUBLES 19:11 REASONS WHY IT DIDN'T MAKE IT The IDx cars were the product of a new development philosophy. Nissan brought in outside help. Not from outside of the company, but from outside of the industry. Designers consulted with 100 “digital nomads”, or individuals born after the year 1990. On the surface, this doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. Car companies often take the public’s opinion into account. They also dedicate time and resources toward conducting surveys and market research. Still, car development is a relatively insular process. Feedback clinics focus on gauging how car buyers react to something that a company has already worked on. Oftentimes they do not influence it on a fundamental level. Nissan’s approach, which it referred to as co-development, brought the public in from the outset. The Freeflow was envisioned as a lifestyle vehicle. Outright performance took a backseat to a retro aesthetic. Take note of the rounded quad headlamps, light two-tone color scheme, fender wings, and thin bar grille. The chrome-swathed lower front clip is intended to reference bumpers on cars from the 60s and 70s. It also changes up the pace, breaking up the gray expanse and giving us something different to look at. The Nismo is the Freeflow’s sporty, modern sibling. Contrast is the name of the game here. The white and flax color scheme has been swapped for a black and white one. The darkened hood, roof, and trunk emphasize the car’s width. Red accents up front and on the rails also pop that much more. The Freeflow’s retro bar grille has also been replaced with a mesh one that would likely increase engine cooling. The lights, which are comprised of two LEDs wedged inside of a larger DRL, reference older cars without being too on the nose.