This is an installment in a series of posts looking back on show cars that we feel deserved a little more attention than they got. If you have a suggestion for a Forgotten Concept topic, please shoot us a line or leave a comment below.
Isuzu Nagisa Concept
First Shown: 1991 Tokyo Motor Show
Description: Amphibious city vehicle
Sales Pitch: We have no clue…
Details:
First seen at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, the Isuzu Nagisa Concept was part car, part boat, and entirely confusing to those who took it in at the show. Designed to travel Up 100 kph (62 mpg) on land, the Nagisa was claimed to have a top speed on water of 8 knots (9 mph).
Power came from a 175-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 for land operation, and an impeller-style drive system for in-water use. The Nagisa’s wheels retracted during in-water use, and access to the cabin came via the rear deck; the concept had no side-door openings.
At 208 inches long, the Nagisa was about as long as a current-generation Toyota Sequoia, though it rode on a stubby 98-inch wheelbase. Said to have been available was a cover to close off the concept’s cabin, this to allow for use in rainy and otherwise inclement weather.
Nagisa means “calm beach” in Japanese, and it has been theorized in online forums that this water-capable Isuzu was designed to help reduce traffic congestion in crowded cities including Tokyo. Indeed, Tokyo features countless waterways and ocean inlets, though how easily those channels could be accessed by an automobile is unclear, and, there is no record of Isuzu having ever claimed the Nagisa was meant to help move ground traffic into the water.
It appears that the Nagisa was never shown on the U.S. auto-show circuit, which is shame as it’s possible folks in California and Florida might have taken a shine to it.
Forgotten Concept: Ford Probe III
CG Says:
We are sad to report that there seems to be no press-release record, formal or otherwise, of Isuzu’s bizarre 1991 Tokyo Motor Show reveal. This troubles us, as we have no idea what the intended purpose of this vehicle was, or why it wasn’t unveiled at a boat show instead.
That said, we’re a little weirded out by the Nagisa’s resemblance to the Pontiac Fiero, which just confuses matters additionally. The Nagisa episode would feel a little less like a strange dream were a running example in use someplace. Sadly, that seems not to be the case.
Isuzu Nagisa Gallery
(Click below for enlarged images)
Looks friendly.