Teased last week, the Nissan Extrem Concept has now been fully revealed at the Sao Paolo International Motor Show in Brazil. Finished in an electric Solar Cortex metallic orange with color accents on the wheels, gas cap and tow hook, the automaker is calling this high-profile 2+2 one-off a new genre of "urban compact sports car." While developed specifically for Brazil in collaboration with a number of local designers, the Nissan Extrem was initially created by Nissan Design America in San Diego, California. Even though presented as being strictly a concept vehicle at this point, Nissan indicated that its dynamic styling themes offer a glimpse into other future products "for Brazil and beyond."
Dubbed the "Baby Beast," Robert Bauer, Senior Design Manager for the project at NDA characterizes the Extrem Concept as "an urban rally car; a tough little street fighter that can handle the urban jungle with agility and confidence." Based on Nissan’s global V-platform, any potential production spinoff of the Extrem would rely on the same 1.6-liter turbocharged/direct-injected 4-cylinder engine used in the Nissan Juke and could accommodate a front-drive or AWD configurations as well as torque vectoring. The Extrem’s exterior matches bold contours, aggressive character lines and 19-inch alloy wheel with elegant details like LED lighting, wraparound glass, see-through A-pillars, detached C-pillars and floating roof rails. While interior detail is limited, we do know the Extrem features a dedicated 2-tier storage space that includes a hidden area beneath a removable cargo bin.
"Extrem suggests that exotic and exciting design need not just be reserved for expensive cars. It shows that innovative, sophisticated design can be made in a clever, attainable way. Extrem is one of our answers to this possibility and it opens an exciting new chapter in our design relationship with Brazil," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer. The automaker is seeking to significantly increase market penetration in the country from its current two percent to five percent by 2014 and plans to introduce eight new models there from now until 2016.
