EV penned by Nissan GT-R designer reaches prototype stage
EV penned by Nissan GT-R designer reaches prototype stage
Shiro Nakamura has returned with a new EV design that previews technology that may feature in future cars.

Since stepping down as the head of Nissan design in 2017, Shiro Nakamura, the designer responsible for the R35-generation Nissan GT-R, as well as multiple other Nissan and Infiniti models, has been running his own design company SN Design Platform.

The Tokyo-based design company will use the 2024 Paris auto show starting today to present the THK LSR-05, a four-door electric vehicle built to showcase new technologies from THK, a Japanese firm specializing in components that rely on linear motion with rolling contact.

The LSR-05 was first shown as a concept at the 2023 Tokyo auto show, and in Paris a more advanced prototype version featuring several new technologies developed by THK is being shown. Among the technologies are a sliding seat that requires very little installation space, an active suspension system with magnetic dampers, a contactless charging system, and a brake-by-wire system.

The LSR-05 also features in-wheel electric motors developed by THK. There is one for each of the rear wheels, rated at 125 hp each, which work together with a conventional electric motor driving the front axle, rated at 295 hp.

THK LSR-05 prototype

The vehicle is described by SN Design Platform as a crossover with coupe-like proportions. It measures approximately 196 inches long, placing it in the midsize segment. However, thanks to clever packaging, helped by the lack of a transmission tunnel but also the new seats, means interior space is closer to that of a full-size vehicle. There's so much legroom that the rear seats even have extendable leg rests.

Neither SN Design Platform nor THK have mentioned production for the LSR-05, but THR said it is working on a more advanced design to be called the LSR-07.

The LSR-05 isn't the first EV presented by SN Design Platform. The company last year also presented the EV Sport 01, a similar concept built to showcase electric motors developed by Japanese technology company AIM.

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