The Nissan Max-Out EV Concept Is the Electric Roadster We’ve Dreamed About
A two-door, ultralight EV convertible? Yes please.
Nissan has revealed the lurid Max-Out EV concept as a two-door convertible of the future.
The concept was revealed to kick off the Nissan Futures event, with the Japanese automaker laying out its plans for the future of "sustainable mobility and innovative design." If the Max-Out concept looks familiar, it's because it first surfaced in virtual form in 2021, alongside other concepts portending Nissan's EV future. Nissan has since seen fit to build the real thing, bringing the hyper-future design into reality.
The car is a true concept-level build, with design features far beyond what you'd expect to see on a roadgoing vehicle. The front grille area plays host to a glowing lighting array, which if the video is anything to go by, is inspired by Aurora Borealis. A similar lighting design continues on the wheels themselves, making the car look like something straight out of Tron. At the rear, the full-width taillight continues the theme, though in a way that you could just about imagine reaching an actual production vehicle.
As per its original reveal, Nissan stated the Max-Out convertible would be an ultra-lightweight EV with a low center of gravity for sharp handling. The concept is designed around Nissan's all-wheel-drive Advanced e-40RCE drivetrain. This drivetrain previously showed up in an experimental dual-motor Nissan Leaf back in 2019, boasting a healthy 304 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque.
The two-seater also features an innovative seating setup. The passenger seat can be flattened down into the floor to create additional cargo space when required. Anyone who has ever folded back the passenger seat in a Mazda Miata to carry some tires will understand the value of this feature in a compact convertible.
With the Max-Out concept, Nissan has taken the usual futuristic tropes of neon grids and glowing lights, and yet somehow still built something fresh and forward-looking. The result is an EV convertible that looks straight out of science fiction.
Of course, it's unlikely we'd see anything quite so ostentatious on the streets in future. However, the underlying concept is sound. A lightweight EV convertible with 300 horsepower sounds like a good time, whichever way you slice it. If Nissan delivers that with a similar futuristic design language, they'll have a fan favorite on their hands for sure.
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