Full Press Release.
Is it a Car or a Motorcycle?
Land Glider Leans into a Totally New Driving Experience
Nissan’s planning and design team were given a challenge: to explore new forms of zero emission mobility that redefined existing segments. The result was a radical new vehicle that combines the company’s vision for future urban mobility with Nissan’s great driving heritage.
In creating the Land Glider concept, Nissan planners and designers have conceived a totally new form of personal zero emission mobility that combines clever, new driving experiences, all in the one compact, 4-wheeled package.
With more than 50% 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.
While the agility, thrills and freedom of bikes inspired the designers and engineers, an extra spice was added to the mix. Tandem architecture became the obvious choice. A unique two-seater, cocoon-like structure sitting on a zero emission powertrain. With four-wheel stability and a sense of safety that originates from a tilting cabin, the Land Glider will appeal to both two- and four-wheel driving enthusiasts.
Targeted at city dwellers of all generations, the Land Glider is a serious motoring statement of the new era of mobility that Nissan intends to lead.
Cocoon in the shell
“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.”
The vehicle’s two-seater tandem layout is enveloped in what seems like the canopy of a glider, while its unique `tilt’ setup employs a special leaning function that holds occupants firmly in place even when the vehicle is cornering at angles. In developing the Land Glider, Nissan designers have created a two-seater that offers the sense of security of a cocoon, but delivers real driving pleasure.