Ahead of a physical debut at the Japan Mobility Show (also known as the Tokyo Motor Show) on 25th October, Nissan has revealed its fourth concept creation from the recent ‘Hyper’ range – the Hyper Punk Concept. Straight off the bat, it looks like a vehicle that belongs to the Cyberpunk 2077 video game – it looks anything but conventional and a polygon-heavy styling theme gives it a further video-game-inspired look. The Hyper Punk concept follows the Hyper Urban, Hyper Adventure, and Hyper Tourer Concepts that were revealed in quick succession just a few days prior.
According to Nissan, the Hyper Punk concept is ‘an all-electric compact crossover tailored for content creators, influencers, artists, and those who embrace style and innovation.’ The futuristic exterior look is achieved with a continuous flow of polygonal surfaces, which makes the vehicle stand out.
Depending on the viewing angle and light source, the tones in the silver exterior paint also keep varying. In the words of Nissan, the Hyper Punk Concept’s design ‘represents the user’s desire for self-expression and breaking conventional wisdom and Nissan’s progressive approach to introducing new technologies and designs.’
The theme of polygonal shapes also continues onto the headlights, tail lamps, and rear signature and the massive 23-inch wheels highlight the Hyper Punk Concept’s off-road credentials.
The interior is just as futuristic as the exterior – much like all modern-day concept vehicles, the Hyper Punk Concept does away with conventional, physical switchgear. Most of the controls seem to be operated via touch surfaces.
If the edgy design (both inside & out) wasn’t enough, the Hyper Punk concept also offers innovative features that help fuse ‘digital and art’ together.
For example, the onboard cameras capture the scenery around the car and use artificial intelligence (AI) to convert it to manga-style scenery or graphic patterns, according to user preference. The AI-generated imagery can then be projected on a three-screen display in the cockpit. It vehicle even features headrest biosensors that, along with AI, can detect the driver’s mood and automatically select the right music and lighting to elevate the in-car experience.
There’s also a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) system (referred to as V2L by some manufacturers like Hyundai) that allows the Hyper Punk Concept to act as a power outlet/generator for gadgets and devices. In essence, the V2X system allows the Hyper Punk Concept to be a power source.
Interestingly, from 25th October, Nissan Hyper Concepts will also debut on the online game Fortnite under the name ‘Electrify the World’ so that users, at least digitally, can experience the potential of these vehicles.
What is Nissan bringing to the 2023 Japan Mobility Show?
As mentioned at the beginning, apart from the Hyper Punk Concept, Nissan will display the Hyper Urban, Hyper Adventure, and Hyper Tourer Concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show.
As the name suggests, the Hyper Urban Concept is aimed at environmentally-conscious urban users and comes with features like V2G (vehicle-to-grid), which allows users to contribute surplus power to the grid to support their local community and earn money in the process.
The Hyper Adventure Concept focuses on off-road use and comes equipped with Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive. The Hyper Tourer Concept is an all-electric minivan that aims to combine the essence of omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) with the idea of modern-day road trips.
While features like fully autonomous driving, 360-degree swivelling front seats, and biometric sign-sensing AI contribute to modernity, Japanese kumiko (a Japanese technique of assembling wooden pieces without the use of nails that mostly depicts interlocking patterns) and koushi patterns both inside and outside the Hyper Tourer Concept represent the hospitality elements.