Land Glider mobility for the masses

Nissan has taken the wraps off an innovative concept car ahead of its public debut at the Tokyo motor show.

Meet the Land Glider, a vehicle that takes inspiration from the motorcycle world yet rides on four wheels.

The curious new concept design has space for two occupants and is a zero emission vehicle, powered by two electric motors located in the rear of the vehicle. Nissan says the batteries can recharge wirelessly while the driver is out shopping or socialising.

Apart from its slim width -- it's just 1.1 metres wide -- the Land Glider can lean up to 17 degrees around corners thanks to advanced suspension systems. And it all works automatically, the driver just steers and the vehicle works out the required angle of lean based on vehicle speed, steering angle and yaw rate.

The idea for the Land Glider came from two-wheeled vehicles. "With more than 50 per cent of the world's population living in big cities in the near future, designers latched onto motorcycles as a credible base to start the design process," explained Nissan.

Nissan expects the vehicle will appeal to both two- and four-wheel driving enthusiasts and calls the concept "a serious motoring statement of the new era of mobility that Nissan intends to lead".

The 3.1 metre long vehicle has a futuristic design that wouldn't be out of place in a science fiction movie, with its aviation style canopy.

"The exterior incorporates a soft, sleek-looking body that appears to be protected by a special armor," explains Takashi Nakajima, Nissan's Project Design Director.

"And while it is very mechanical in its nature, the four-wheeler boasts a dynamic body design that almost seems alive. As part of Nissan's expanding zero emission family, the Land Glider exudes a clean, friendly attitude," added Nakajima-san.

As well as being clean and green, Nissan's eclectic concept also features an advanced 'pre-collision' safety system, not unlike those used in high end German prestige cars.

The "car-robotics" crash avoidance system uses an array of sensors in the vehicle's body panels to "detect other vehicles in the same way as fish swim in schools without colliding".

Interestingly, Nissan has gone on record as saying that while the Land Glider is a motor show concept vehicle, "It should not be regarded as a mere design study".

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