The Judo was Nissan’s knockout concept that never got in the ring
The car never made to production The post The Judo was Nissan’s knockout concept that never got in the ring appeared first on Supercar Blondie.
Back in 1987, Nissan unveiled its Judo concept car, described as an ‘all-terrain vehicle with cargo space’ – and it was a bit of a beast.
The Judo was showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show alongside four other concept vehicles from the marque.
It was designed as an off-roader and its bodywork appeared to be heavily influenced by the ‘bubble era’ that was popular in Japan at the time.
The car, which is basically an SUV, had a futuristic-look and was clearly ahead of its time.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Nissan has released some incredible concept cars, including this all-electric one that looks like something Batman would drive, and the helicopter-inspired Nissan Gobi.
But before either of those, Nissan unveiled the Judo – an all-terrain vehicle that sort of looks like a lunar buggy.
The two-seater Judo measured 157 inches (399cm) long, 66 inches wide (169cm), and 62 inches tall (158cm) – a similar size to a second-generation Volkswagen Golf.
Its unique design featured body-colored front and rear bumpers, a winch hidden in the back, a spare-tire on a hinge at the back, and two large fog lamps at the front.
It also had an unusual retracting hardtop, which slide back along the rear of the Judo, rather than being stowed away.
The interior of the Judo was dominated by grey plastic with a dashboard housing a couple of air vents, an instrument cluster and a glove box that was covered in the same material as its seats.
Its center console had controls for the radio and air conditioning system, as well as a myriad of other buttons with purposes unknown – still it looks pretty cool and futuristic, doesn’t it?
The Judo concept was powered by a 2.0 liter inline-four turbo paired with a five speed manual transmission that could produce 210 horsepower and 195lb-ft of torque.
Sadly, Nissan never revealed any other specs, such as its top speed.
As you already know, the Judo never made it into production and is now just a footnote in the history of Nissan, which is a shame, because we reckon this little vehicle could have been a huge hit. The post The Judo was Nissan’s knockout concept that never got in the ring appeared first on Supercar Blondie.
What's Your Reaction?
