Jay Leno’s Garage Presents Nissan IDx Nismo

Although Jay Leno may no longer be the reigning king of late night – he passed that torch to Jimmy Fallon just a few weeks ago – his enthusiasm for cars has parlayed into an Internet show known as Jay Leno’s Garage. It is here that Leno gets to dialogue with industry experts regarding a variety of cars, from classic models to concepts, and ultimately gets to experience driving them. With no affiliation to a particular brand, we are privy to a truthfully raw opinion of each vehicle.

On this episode, Leno takes a look at the “spiritual successor” of the Nissan Datsun 510, a vehicle the comedian holds in high regard. This concept car debuted last year at the Tokyo Motor Show as part of the celebration for the Japanese automaker’s 80^th anniversary; it is also the result of Nissan’s social media outreach that asked consumers what they seek in a car.

Nissan IDx Nismo (Nissan Motorsports)

The Nissan IDx Nismo is a gorgeous concept car that boasts the classic three-box: hood compartment, cabin, and trunk compartment. They chose a more practical look as opposed to a new design that, for any number of reasons, would not meet transportation standards. Though it is purely a show car, the IDx Nismo is not far off from a production model; in fact, Nissan built it to illustrate the direction of future production cars.

What may be the most striking physical characteristic is the shark-nosed front end that gives this concept car a rather aggressive look. Add 10-spoke 19-inch wheels and a panoramic roof, and you have one sweet ride.

Some of the more interesting features include side exhaust pipes, a floating roof, and rearview cameras. The side exhaust is a novelty for Japanese automobiles as no other brands manufacture them; the floating roof design treatment affords a low-riding look despite the car’s ample room and head space; finally, the rearview cameras located on the hood provide crisp views of traffic flow behind the car.

For more insight of the Nissan IDx Nismo’s design, as well as Leno’s comments throughout an extended test drive, please watch the video below. And should this get you excited about Nissan, we welcome you to Leith Nissan in Cary to speak with one of our brand specialists regarding a great lineup of models.