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The Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 Is Not a Supercar You Drive, But Wear

A lot can change in a few months, and the upsetting developments of 2020 are proof of that. Imagine what can – and will happen – in 50 years’ time, and you would come close to understanding where the Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 fits in.
The Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercar 43 photos
Photo: Nissan
The Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercarThe Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercar
The Nissan GT-R (X) 2050 is the car of the future, a concept by design grad Jaebum “JB” Choi, as part of his thesis for the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, put together while he was remote-interning with Nissan Design America. It’s just a concept, but, at the same time, it’s also a bit more than that because Nissan has decided to grant Choi worldwide recognition by building a 1:1 scale model of the supercar.

You can check it out in detail in the gallery above, as well as in the video embedded at the end of this coverstory.

The Nissan GT\-R \(X\) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercar
Photo: Nissan
The X 2050 is a strange car, and it’s ok if that’s the first thing that strikes you when looking at it. It’s regular-sized in length and width (114.8 inches/2,908 mm and 60.5 inches/1,537 mm, respectively) but it’s only 25.9 inch (658 mm) tall. By today’s standards, it’s way too small, and that’s because it doesn’t play by today’s standards.

Unlike any other autonomous concept that’s made headlines in recent months, the X 2050 is not a car that you drive but one that you wear. As it so happens, you’re wearing it while lying prone on your belly, with your arms and legs sprawling out in the form of an X – hence the name of the vehicle.

Intuition would say that this driving position would feel, if not actually be, incredibly vulnerable, but Choi says that his “wearable machine” is specifically designed to protect the brain that moves it. That brain is two-part: the brain of the human and the computer of the car, connected through a special helmet that allows the human to communicate directly with the machine via a “brain-to-core transmitter.” Back in 2018, at CES, Nissan showcased something similar called B2V technology, so the idea of being able to operate a car by the power of thought isn’t new to the marque. Or unexplored.

The Nissan GT\-R \(X\) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercar
Photo: Nissan
In a future in which driving has become illegal, and all autonomous vehicles are square-shaped pods, as per Choi’s vision of the year 2050, the X 2050 is a machine with emotion. The human inside it wears a special helmet and suit, docking into the machine so as to be able to control it. Man and machine reach a level of autonomous driving far safer and more intuitive than if the machine drove itself, Choi argues.

“I wanted to create a new form of machine that is not a vehicle to ride, it is the space where machine and the human become one,” Choi explains.

This concept is also about impressive performance. With subtle design cues from the iconic GT-R (the red-striped accents, the taillights and body volumes), the X 2050 delivers a mean punch in all-electric form.

The active rear wing adds downforce when needed and folds and expands to allow access into the cabin, while the unique, almost square-shaped one-piece wheel/tire units can turn 360 degrees for the smoothest possible operation. Neither Nissan nor Choi has included exact specs with the big reveal of this concept and scale model, but a lot of emphasis is placed on how this X-shaped vehicle would best any other autonomous vehicle of the future. It would turn today’s man-operated cars into legit dinosaurs.

The Nissan GT\-R \(X\) 2050 is a wearable machine, not a regular autonomous, electric supercar
Photo: Nissan
“His [Choi’s] thesis was all about demonstrating the emotional connection technology can create, and the benefit that it can deliver for customers,” NDA Vice President David Woodhouse says in a release. “[Choi] has essentially envisioned a new mode of transportation that people could experience like clothes, ‘wearable,’ instead of a traditional vehicle ‘carriage.’ It is the kind of breaking-the-mold thinking that has always been encouraged here at NDA. We’ve been honored to help bring [his] vision to life.”

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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