Nissan maxes out retro appeal in new concept car, but is it a hint at a sportier and more unique future for the brand?

Nissan has revealed a physical version of its Max-Out concept car, a two-seat convertible designed to hint at what kind of vehicles the brand can design in the electric future.

The Max-Out has been shown once before in purely digital form as part of Nissan’s ‘Ambition 2030’ vision in 2021, a wide-ranging vision statement which encompassed the brand’s zero emissions ambitions and new technologies it intends to develop.

The Max Out is said to “display Nissan’s innovation to develop a diverse range of advanced and striking vehicles with a clear vision of how they can benefit both individuals and society.”

The Max-Out has a clearly retro-inspired design with lines to suit a vehicle from the 1970s or 1980s with a square grille and rear light designs, with classic drop-top lines.

The interior has a cascading seat design, with a two-spoke oval steering wheel with a triangular shape in the centre (perhaps a nod to the 1980’s Nissan Gloria or Bluebird), a large centre-mounted display, as well as a 3D-grid style motif running throughout the car.

The car is a part of a Nissan Futures event which showcases some of Nissan’s sustainable mobility technologies, present and future, which should elaborate on some of the concepts explored in the original Ambition 2030 statement.

Other technologies the brand intends to focus on include V2X technology - the ability for a car to power external devices or even a whole home via a two-way charging port, and the need to invest in battery re-use as early electric vehicles begin to approach their end-of-life.

Nissan has revealed a physical version of its Max-Out concept car.

As part of its ambitions statement, Nissan said it was investing two trillion yen (nearly AUD$22 billion) into electrification investments, which by 2026 will yield 20 new electrified powertrains, and a target of 40 per cent electrified global vehicle sales.

By 2030, Nissan plans 23 new electrified models with 15 being fully electric, with an expansion to 50 per cent of its global sales mix being electrified models.

Nissan also plans to invest heavily in a proprietary solid state battery, which it predicts it will launch in 2028. The solid state battery will be smaller with reduced costs and charging times.

Nissan also plans to extend into V2X solutions, including selling home battery solutions.

The Japanese juggernaut is also undergoing a strategic realignment with its European partner, Renault. After a scandal-filled few years involving the brand’s previous CEO, Carlos Ghosn, the alliance is currently being re-balanced to allow Nissan more autonomy. To that end, Renault will reduce its share in Nissan to 15 per cent from its current 43 per cent ownership.

As part of the deal, Nissan is expected to take joint ownership of Renault’s new EV powertrain business, Ampere, which will focus on new EV tech for the European market. However, tensions have arisen again between Renault and Nissan, over the French brand’s intention to sell part of its combustion business to China’s Geely, which currently also controls Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.