Nissan Urge concept car was recently launched at the 2006 Detroit Auto show, the unique thing about this car is it comes stock with a built in Xbox 360. Not only that the controls for the gaming console are actually the controls you are using to drive the car with! So you can practise drifting with your Nissan Urge in Xbox 360 and still be able to do a similar acton in real life driving! Cool isnt it?

DETROIT — Dec. 28, 2005 — Nissan North America Inc.(NNA) and Microsoft Corp. have merged automobile design and gaming technology to create the first-ever fully integrated gaming system within a vehicle. Conceived by Nissan Design America Inc. (NDA) and equipped with the Xbox 360™ next-generation video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Nissan URGE concept car allows drivers (while parked) to play “Project Gotham Racing^® 3” using the car’s own steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal while viewing the game on a flip-down seven-inch LCD screen. “PGR^® 3” is developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Bizarre Creations Ltd. for Microsoft Game Studios.

The URGE, which will make its world debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show on Jan. 9, offers a glimpse of how echo boomers are influencing the next generation of vehicle design.

“Nissan conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 echo boomers, a majority of which said technology and gaming are among the most important attributes in their first car,” said Bruce Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan Design America in La Jolla, Calif. “Xbox 360 offered the latest in technology and was already a favorite among this audience.”

The Nissan URGE, outfitted with an Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, puts the controls of the world’s most powerful gaming console at the hands and feet of the driver. Implemented by the designers at Nissan Design America with the guidance of Microsoft engineers, the Nissan URGE delivers an immersive driving experience not available in any living room.

The URGE concept car is equipped with the award-winning “PGR 3,” which allows drivers to control a breathtaking trip through the streets of five photo-realistic locations: New York City, London, Las Vegas, Tokyo and the Nurburgring test track in Germany. “PGR 3” drivers view and play the game on a flip-down LCD screen, which doubles as a rear-view mirror when the car is being used for real driving. They control the action using the Nissan URGE’s race-inspired steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal. A Nissan URGE driver can, for example, maneuver through the streets of New York, park the car and fire up the Xbox 360, then virtually race through the same streets using the same steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal — blurring fantasy and reality in a way that the automotive world has never before seen.

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The Nissan URGE concept, a minimalist sports car design exercise conceived and created by Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA) in La Jolla, California, traces its genesis to a number of sources. First, URGE is pure Nissan in its look, innovative features, spirited performance and, certainly, its sports car heritage.

Secondly, its creators wanted to tap into the mindset of its intended audience – young, first-time car buyers with a gamer’s sense of adventure and who provided input to NDA through an online survey. And finally, the designers wanted to capture in URGE the feeling of the bare, exposed look and driving experience of a high performance motorcycle, while also providing conceptual safety features.

The resulting concept, which makes its world debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, expresses all three ideas and much, much more. URGE is pure, quick, agile, and easily understandable at first glance – merging technology, performance, adventure and safety with pure fun. It offers freedom and excitement, along with the flexibility of two alpha seating – with a unique third seat tucked behind the driver and passenger.

The URGE exterior is highlighted by an extensive aluminum “cage” structure, which includes an aluminum center structure that runs from the engine bay to the interior center console. The body itself features aluminum/composite construction, a glass hood with a view of the quick, small-displacement high-revving engine, 4-bar hinge scissor doors, see-through door panel cutouts, and a collapsible canvas top.

The URGE interior features lightweight mesh bucket seats, compact F1-style steering wheel, a driver information monitor with five customizable screens and a built-in gaming system, powered by Xbox 360, with fold-down display and steering wheel/pedal controls.

In addition to the responsive engine mated to a 6-speed manual sequential gearbox, URGE performance features include lightweight 9-spoke spun aluminum-alloy wheels, 350Z-style Brembo® brakes and 19-inch front/20-inch rear wheels and tires.

Highlights of the Nissan URGE concept include:

Body
• Motorcycle-inspired styling – lightweight, minimal, exposed
• 104.3-inch wheelbase (same as the 350Z), 156.6-inch overall length (16 inches shorter than the 350Z)
• See-through glass hood, cutaway door panels
• Aluminum center structure that runs from the engine bay to the interior center console
• Recyclable aluminum and composite construction
• 4-bar hinge scissors-style doors with cutouts for easy ingress and egress
• Spun aluminum roof cage structure, triangulated A-pillars
• Collapsible, quick-close, manual (storable) canvas top
• 2400-pound target vehicle weight
• “Mirror Crystal” exterior color

Engine and Driveline
• Quick, small-displacement, high-revving engine
• 6-speed manual sequential gearbox
• Front engine/rear-wheel drive

Suspension and Braking
• Independent suspension
• 350Z-style Brembo® brakes
• 19-inch front/20-inch rear 9-spoke spun aluminum-alloy wheels with narrow Michelin tires (195/45R19 front, 225/35R20 rear)

Interior Features
• Driver-oriented interior with compact, responsive F1-style steering wheel
• Racing-style lightweight mesh-and-leather bucket seats
• Billet aluminum center console
• Cell phone and mp3 player docking stations; cell phone acts as Intelligent Key to start vehicle
• Navigation system displayed in front of driver (not passenger)
• Five customizable driver info screens (including HVAC, navi, audio and suspension/performance tuning)
• Integrated gaming system powered by Xbox 360 and featuring a special Nissan edition of Project Gotham Racing 3
• Game screen folds down from the rearview mirror; steering wheel and pedals engage as game controls; gaming audio powered through the vehicle’s audio system
• Perforated metal mesh-covered silicone foam instrument panel material, visible passenger-side air bag, racing-style durable rubber flooring
• Two alpha seating (third seat hidden behind driver and passenger seats)

Design and Assembly
• Designed by Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA), La Jolla, Calif.
• Assembled by Metal Crafters, Inc., Fountain Valley, Calif.

Nissan URGE

Key Dimensions and Specifications

Engine Quick, high revving, small-displacement engine

Transmission 6-speed sequential manual gearbox

Drive Configuration Front engine/rear-wheel drive

Wheels/Tires/Brakes 19-inch front/20-inch rear 9-spoke spun aluminum-alloy wheels with Michelin tires (195/45R19 front, 225/35R20 rear), 350Z-style Brembo® 4-wheel disc

Wheelbase 104.3 inches/2650 mm

Length 156.6 inches/3979 mm

Width 71.8 inches/1824 mm

Height 49.6 inches/1260 mm

Target weight 2400 pounds

Seating Capacity 3 passengers

Select Exterior Features Motorcycle-inspired styling, see-through glass hood, cutaway door panels,
aluminum center structure, aluminum and carbon fiber construction, 4-bar
hinge scissors-style doors, spun aluminum roof cage structure, collapsible
quick-close, manual (storable) canvas top, “Mirror Crystal” exterior color

Select Interior Features Driver-oriented interior with compact, responsive F1-style steering wheel,
racing-style lightweight mesh-and-leather bucket seats, billet aluminum center console, cell phone and mp3 player docking stations (cell phone acts as Intelligent Key to start vehicle), customizable driver info screens (including HVAC, navi, audio and suspension/performance tuning), integrated gaming system powered by Xbox 360. [Source]