We at The Autopian are huge fans of alternative vehicles you can sleep in. Sports coupes turned into camping vehicles, Top Gear’s leaning tower of Citroen, Saabs with Toppolas, that sort of stuff. The thing is, these sorts of vehicles are rarely factory efforts. However, Nissan has a new concept that blends performance car chops with an overnightable interior. What Nissan has done is take a Skyline, known to Americans as an Infiniti Q50, and turned it into a camper of sorts. Officially called the Nissan Contemporary Lifestyle Vehicle, this is a very different proposition from the Skylines of Gran Turismo.
It’s not uncommon for small campers to have a tiny sleeping area, but this concept actually has two ways to stretch out and relax. Not only does the front seat have an enhanced recline function, fold the rear seats down and you’re greeted with a padded surface into the trunk that could be used as a bed. At first glance, the second option doesn’t look any more comfortable than sleeping on the floor, but I’d love to be wrong. Maybe it’s a bring-your-own camping mat situation.
Perhaps the most interesting contraption is the passenger sun visor. If you need a space to work while parked, simply yank on the visor and it comes loose, allowing it to be unfolded into a steering wheel tray table with an easy-clean carbon fiber surface. The driver’s sun visor also cascades down but I’m still trying to figure out why. Still, once the tray table is set up, you can detach the infotainment screen and perch it atop the table for the entertainment of an entirely white screen. Yeah, that’s a bit awkward.
Should you get tired of staring at nothing on the infotainment screen, simply pop round the back, open the trunk, and unroll the projector screen. Oh yes. Now you can use the stowed projector to, I don’t know, watch Shrek? In all seriousness, the reverse-drive-in theater concept sounds brilliant because you could just set up a personal viewing wherever you like. Imagine hooking up an N64 and playing Mario Kart in the parking lot of a Taco Bell with your friends. Sounds like a blast, yeah?
There’s also plenty of storage cubbies and electronic convenience functions aboard this concept, although some seem a bit useless. For instance, the exterior compartment under the rear bumper sounds like a really good place for rubbish (see below), but deleting the woofer in the driver’s door card for blanket storage seems shortsighted.
Likewise, the household plug in the side-view mirror seems nigh-on useless, but the separate moonroof above the rear seats for stargazing in full recline sounds lovely. Other mostly useful oddities include a heated cup holder in the console, an easy climate control button in the interior B-pillar, and an umbrella hidden in the sill of all places, which sounds like a great way to both make your umbrella dry and make it completely filthy.
Of course, the Nissan Contemporary Lifestyle Vehicle stops short of giving you space to shit and shower, but that’s the sacrifice of a sports sedan. Judging by experience with the current Infiniti Q50, it should drive much better than a van-based camper. More importantly, can we just take a second to appreciate that Nissan believes a contemporary lifestyle includes a six-cylinder sports sedan with a longitudinal drivetrain and at least 300 horsepower? It could’ve just as easily made a camper out of an Ariya or a Leaf, but this is a stealthy camper concept for traditional car enthusiasts. It’s a sign that genuine weirdness is still alive at Nissan, and weird cars are beautiful things.
[Editor’s Note: This is obviously a gimmick concept car to get people talking about Nissan, but hey, it’s pretty damn random. They took a sedan and made it sleepable? Why? I have no idea. -DT].Â
(Photo credits: Nissan)
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As having to run from whatever extreme weather event becomes increasingly common I can see this type of stuff becoming more popular.
Well it’s better than the Camparo.
I guess I’m the only one who actually likes this. It sounds like the modifications they made are pretty clever. I’m sure it would be outrageously expensive if they actually sold it, but if you’ve followed Mercedes’ articles about campers these days that’s about par for the course.
Skyline is so much better of a name than Q50
I was doing a track day at VIR last year and the guy parked next to me slept in his late 90s Integra Type R for the weekend. Truly a great camper IMO.
I fear the actual market for this is slightly more depressing: budget accommodations for sleeping in the parking lot at the Foxconn factory during 12-hour-on-12-hour-off shifts.
Just a few days early for April Fools…
My 2nd Buick Regal had rear folding seats that gave plenty of room for sleeping and you know what I can endorse it for anyone that is young and doesn’t have back issues.
But that was a $3000 car how much is this mobile home?
Boy, camping sure is popular these days.
If they paint racing stripes on it, it’s a race car bed!!
When car ownership is more realistic than home ownership…
You can live in your car but you can’t drive a house.
Nissan knows that half their customers sleep in their car anyway.
Needs polarizing glass-white or mirror. It would be fun if they actually made a special model, but it probably wouldn’t make money.
I know I posted this photo not long ago but, since it fits this topic perfectly, I’ll again point out that there is a factory kit for converting the back seat and trunk of a SAAB 96 into a bed. I’ve got one:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52733125066_095d7f2e56_b.jpg
If you want the dimensions for making your own, or if you want to see the instructions for the other version that uses the front and back seats (a variant I’ve never seen in person), here you go:
https://saabklubben.se/saabfakta/saab-9596-tt-v4/baddsats-saab-96/
Not for reason. Nissan just have the foresight that the majority of youngins will be #carlife / #vanlife in real life forever.
Exactly what I was thinking.
I wish they would add all these features to something like E-NV200 which would make a lot more sense from a form factor perspective and also to run things off the battery.
How does the A/C button logistically work for a car with a gas engine? Are you just idling all night long?
I’ve slept overnight in an EV with the HVAC going all night for fun and it was great.
I wish Nissan would sell the e-NV200 in the US. I’d buy at least 2 of them.