That Time Nissan Copied the French

"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12) 11/13/2016 at 20:54 • Filed to: CITROEN

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I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! recently and it got me thinking about the Nissan Z.

Z31 interior - cross reference with the below!

Citroens from the 70s/80s had a few common traits. They often had single spoke steering wheels - though that spoke could point out at any crazy angle, from straight down to off on the side somewhere. And they had those freaky “PRN Satellite” control pods to either side of the steering wheel, intended to ensure important controls were within reach of the driver without him/her having to leave the wheel. These can be seen on the Citroen DS, BX/CX, SM, XM - all those dear spaceships.

Citroen BX interior

But Nissan did it too. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! had the same controls near the steering wheel, and while the wheel isn’t quite a single-spoke, it’s not the conventional 3-spoker! It’s got that wide open area, a full 300 degrees.

The Z32s all had conventional steering wheels (which got hideously bloated once the airbags came out), but retained the frog-style pod controls. I remember when I had !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , once or twice I got asked if it was “supposed to be that way” - such a question is usually a good sign your car is French.

Ignore the goddam ricer bullshit - notice the pods either side of the wheel, the relatively spartan center console. It’s just the radio in there.

Very strange. These things didn’t carry through to today, I’d call them typical French quirks rather than meaningful innovation - the sort of thing I wouldn’t expect the Japanese to emulate. But there we have it.

Edit: The Nissan EXA (Pulsar NX to you Americans I think) had it too! I knew this but I had forgotten.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Nauraushaun 11/13/2016 at 21:03

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The second-gen Quest’s interior is very reminiscent of French interiors too.

S65 > Nauraushaun 11/13/2016 at 21:11

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Hey! That Z32's interior isn’t that bad

Probenja > not for canada - australian in disguise 11/13/2016 at 21:15

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Truth, it looks similar to the Scenic:

Probenja > Nauraushaun 11/13/2016 at 21:17

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The Isuzu LUV’s from the 80's had those aswell:

Nauraushaun > Probenja 11/13/2016 at 21:23

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Right you are!

Nauraushaun > S65 11/13/2016 at 21:25

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The fact that it could be worse doesn’t make it okay. They could all be worse, we’re talking about JDM here! There’s no limit to the hideousness.

Nauraushaun > not for canada - australian in disguise 11/13/2016 at 21:26

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You’re right! That relocated shifter says it all

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nauraushaun 11/13/2016 at 21:48

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Putting contols on the sides of the binnacle was just a very 80's thing to do though. Pictured: Cavalier, MR2,Mazda 626

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 11/13/2016 at 23:55

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Excellent points! I’ve read that the French started the whole thing, and I knew Nissans had them having owned some, so naturally I made the connection. Turns out I only had half the story!

Nauraushaun > Nauraushaun 11/14/2016 at 01:34

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Ps. is that an AW11 promo shot with a 308 in the distance? Sneaky as.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nauraushaun 11/14/2016 at 01:43

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Isuzu Impulse, Audi urQuattro

Cé hé sin > not for canada - australian in disguise 11/14/2016 at 04:53

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except for the automatic gearlever...

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 11/14/2016 at 17:17

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NICE!

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Nauraushaun 07/25/2020 at 16:16

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Closing old tabs that I’ve had open for over 3 years. Great read. Interestingly in the time since you wrote this Lexus has brought back a sort of modern take on the binnacle controls on the LS and LC starting for 2018:

Nauraushaun > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 07/25/2020 at 17:36

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Lol, seriously? 3 years!?

Woah, look at those things. That’s definitely a weird choice.

Just quietly, dude. So much has changed in the last 4 years. I hadn’t been overseas at all in November 2016, I was 1 month from my first time. I went to that French festival with a girl I used to date who I’ve scarcely seen since. I went to the Holden head office which had a bunch of old concept cars there - since then, Holden has died, the concepts removed .

I’m nearly 30 and things were definitely better in November 2016.