Designing a car and having it be shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon might just every designer’s dream, and now a few technical college students from Aichi and Kyoto will do be able to add that feather to their hats.
Nissan has 5 Automobile Technical College across Japan and, in addition to offering standard courses in maintenance, the college also provides specialised programs in motorsports and vehicle bodywork, which include panel beating and coating. The models we’ll see here are results of the talents of some of the students of the latter.
The first one comes from Kyoto, and is called the NEO Skyline. It is based on the CV35 Skyline Coupe and aims to be a modern Kenmary — and if you’re a Skyline person, you will know exactly what that means. If you don’t, it is because this generation became famous back in 1972 due to a advertising campaign featuring a Ken and a Mary.
The brief was to create a concept that maintains the essence of the Kenmary, while appealing to a contemporary audience. Created over 6 months by the fourth year students, the body sports the original Tomoaki Blue colour, which takes the nostalgic Kenmary’s bright blue metallic hue and adds a pearl finish to modernise it slightly.
Nostalgia is what the N in NEO stands for. E is for encouragement and O for originality. To tie it all together, Nissan says: “nostalgia for those in their 50s who fondly remember the Kenmary Skyline from their childhood, encouragement for those in their 40s rediscovering the joy of driving, and originality for those in their 30s who seek novelty in modern vehicles.”
Want to own a Fairlady (the JDM name for the Z) but need the extra space? The Kyoto students got you sorted. The Z Lealia is the concept of a “sports station wagon for family journeys” aims to bring everyday life a little pizzaz (focus on the Zs).
The name combines the words for “lead” and “familia.” Based on the M35 Stagea (which I owned one of), the Z Lealia brings a silhouette reminiscent of the latest RZ34 Z, which must have taken a lot of work. The students cut parts of the rear and roof and then welded on the back section of a Nissan LEAF (which I also currently own). The muscular stance was then achieved by the addition of widened rear fenders. As for colours, here we see ‘Ikazuchi Yellow’, the hero colour for the RZ34 Fairlady Z.
Next up, we have the Bluebird Kiwami, from Aichi. Created by the third-year students over 2.5 months, they leveraged the panel beating and painting skills they had learned to reflect their passion and creativity.
The base vehicle here is the now 36 years old PU11 Bluebird Maxima. Back to the 4-door hardtop body (with no center pillar), it was known for its luxurious feel and spacious interior. Kiwami — which means ultimate in Japanese — was the denomination chosen to explicit their goal, which was to perfect every aspect of the car, from the exterior to the interior, with attention to the driving experience while highlighting its Nissan DNA.
Luxury and sportiness come together in this concept, and in the students’ words, it “targets young drivers who enjoy sharing fun, memorable moments with their friends.” The body color, ‘Aurora Flare Blue Pearl’ is a winner here, and in proper Japanese fashion, evokes the sea and clear blue skies.
Incredible work coming from the students, which one is your favourite? With my knowledge on both platforms, I will go for the Lealia!
