This Nissan Concept Showcases a Wheel System Thought Up by Goodyear

What this particular concept or rendering is known as is the Nissan Dodgy. It’s another dream machine from Burov Design, the same team that brought us the Auto Union roadster. But this, this is nothing like the sleek designs the studio pushes out.

From the start we get the impression that this vehicle is straight out of some cartoon or an off-world movie, or just some 10-year old’s imagination. Its unconventional bulbous shape looks like rides seen in shows like Dragon-Ball Z.

But what sparks something like this? It could be a number of things, of which boredom could be one, but I don’t feel that’s the case here. This design studio is much too strong to just make things for no reason. So that leaves us with the option that the Dodgy could be used to showcase some technological ideas.

Whether that’s true or not, we’ll never know, but the way this Nissan branded design moves is indicative up some technologies that the automotive industry has actually been researching. What, you thought this was the first time someone thought up of a globe-like wheel system? Nope. Even I’ve thought of something like this a few years back, one Saturday morning while meditating on a porcelain throne.

But it isn’t the thinkers that rule the world, it’s the doers, and this is a start. However, ahead of myself and Burov Design, was Goodyear. They have been working on an idea for a while now that includes the use of a spherical wheel. Check out the video below and share it with your friends. This could be the very direction some of our vehicles will be headed. And why the heck not, it’s awesome tech if we can ever get it going.

Now that we know why the Dodgy could be a very big deal, let’s have a look at the design. From the start we see that it’s only constructed for one rider. We can also see no steering wheel of any kind, leading us to believe that it will most certainly be autonomous.

It’s globe-like design also allows for a very minimal use of structural supports while maximizing headroom and internal space. It’s a big reason as to why the VW Beetle is so popular, aside from the history it carries. This also allows the Dodgy to give us plenty of view. The strip of windshield extends over the top and gives a full view of the sky above.

The same holds true for the side panels. What side panels? They're just doors made of mostly glass, once again offering visibility that does away with the use of mirrors. But being autonomous, mirrors aren't needed anyway. All you have to do is enjoy the view.

Throw on some LED head and rear lights, the Nissan logo, and maybe, just maybe, you could see this on the streets in the future. If not this exact design, some aspect or another could very well be seen somewhere else.