Nissan has come up with a pair of weird, but interesting concept cars at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show that showcase the flexibility of their modular platform systems. The case study concepts include the IDx Freeflow, a lifestyle kind of vehicle, and IDx NISMO, an ultra-sporty model of the future.

Nissan IDx Concepts are both built on the same architecture, but have radically different characters. Nissan calls it co-creation. The design of the IDx concepts showcases creative simplicity at its best. They look as if the designers haven’t really made an effort, but at the same time, the proportions of the box-shape body seem very intriguing. You can clearly see a lot of cues borrowed from the old Datsun sports cars in both of them.

With these cars Nissan is also exercising use of new and innovative materials. For example, the dashboard is simple yet refined, created by employing cast moulding in parts in the body structure and on the ventilation ducts. By combining this with sparingly-used, close-fitting trim, the dashboard can be a foundation for various expressions and functions.

The IDx Freeflow is Nissan’s idea of a simple, no-nonsense car designed to easy, cozy and relaxing. It has a simple dashboard with level surfaces and an analog dials and clock, plus some nice touches like denim cover for the seats and parts of the dash. The exterior colour is a sophisticated combination of white and flax (a light brown shade) that makes the floating roof design and the 18-inch chrome wheels really pop. Nissan suggests this car could be powered by a 1.2 or a 1.5 liter engine with CVT transmission.

The IDx NISMO, meanwhile, is designed to be timeless and moored, drawing inspiration from Nissan’s basic box-shaped racing vehicles of the past. The car features a cool paint job and is said to bring the joys of virtual driving experience to a real car. The co-creators of this car were people who grew up playing racing simulation games that feature cars of the past and from all corners of the globe.