Nissan Concept 20-23 debuts – electric hot hatch with scissor doors, plenty of aero, race-inspired interior

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe (NDE), the Japanese carmaker has unveiled a new sporty urban electric concept car called the Concept 20-23.

According to Nissan, the show car was conceived by a team that followed a simple brief: design a car with no constraints that they would like to drive on the streets of the city where they work. “The modern twist on this small car playfulness reflects both the world of online racing and Nissan’s participation in Formula E,” the company said in its release.

Sporting a three-door hatchback body style, the Concept 20-23 features extreme aerodynamic elements front and rear, including deep skirts which direct airflow away from the front of the car, through the apertures to cool the brakes and out through vents just behind the front wheels.

The flat nose is angled up to the top of the hood and is joined by headlamps that are made up of a thin upper and lower semi-circle. Nissan says these are enhanced by a sharp beam with LED technology, while the turn signal is part of the same semi-circle LED unit.

The double semi-circle is replicated for the taillights, which provide the Concept 20-23 with a friendly appearance that contrasts the highly angular shapes. Other notable cues include the prominent wheel arches and a large rear spoiler, the latter with endplates that curve from the near vertical close to the C-pillar over to the angled horizontal element which generates downforce. There’s also a discreet air intake on the roof that provides ventilation to the occupants.

We don’t get any interior shots, but Nissan says its designers have created a living space that properly reflects the sporty exterior. Firstly, entry is by two scissor doors which hinge upwards from the base of the A-pillar, upon which you’ll spot a brace bar running across the door openings.

It seems Nissan’s team are fans of race cars because the Concept 20-23’s interior is also said to come with two deep bucket seats trimmed in a near-white finish, along with a long extended steering column, a rectangular sports steering wheel and paddle shifters for the undisclosed electric powertrain. Between the two occupants, there are two metal beams holding the centre console in position and are bolted to the “spine” of the car that appears from the floor.

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