Manufacturer Nissan Class Concept car | Production 1985–1987 Body style 2-door coupe | |
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Layout Mid engine, all-wheel drive | ||
History
First unveiled at the 1985 Frankfurt Autoshow, the MID4 was a concept car designed by Nissan to originally go on sale in the mid-late 1980s. Nissan had aimed the MID4 to compete with European supercars from Porsche and Ferrari. It featured a mid-engined all wheel drive layout as well as a wide array of technology and features that would eventually find their way into other Nissan production cars. The MID4 prototypes would evolve into the MID4 II, though it would never be put into production.
Contents
Early Development
The responsibility of creating the MID4 was given to a team of designers headed by Shinichiro Sakurai in the spring of 1984. The first four prototypes were completed by March 1985.
MID4
The MID4 was first unveiled at the 1985 Frankfurt Autoshow. The AWD system distributed the power from the newly designed VG30DE engine with 33% to the front and 67% to the rear, and was the predecessor to the ATTESA system. The MID4 was also the first car to feature Nissan's brand new 4 wheel HICAS steering system and had a claimed top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h).
MID4 II
The MID4 II made its debut at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show and featured many revisions to the previous design. The MID4 II sported the twin turbo intercooled VG30DETT which put out 330 PS (243 kW). The MID4 II was ultimately never produced due to cost.