I was intrigued by the asymmetrical design of the Nissan Cube, with its wrap-around window on the right rear. It got me thinking about how this might be an interesting way to eliminate a blind spot and increase road safety. Then I drove one and saw that it’s all a big put-on! It’s not really a wrap-around window at all! It’s made to look like one. What a disappointment.
Moving thread from IMHO to MPSIMS.
sorry, chap, but torsional rigidity and roof strength are far more important.
That doesn’t excuse the pretense. If it’s not feasible don’t make it look like that.
Why not? It’s style, not substance. You act like that’s wrong somehow.
I’ve got one, and I like it. I’ve got a very limited size car park with a very narrow street in front, and needed something really tiny, but could fit in a family of four.
Can’t compromise the safety cage. I don’t think you could really make a car like that.
The Cube has always had that particular design trait, even the ones built only for the JDM. It’s part of the Cube’s overall theme. I don’t know why you’d get all bent out of shape over it. Is it a crime that the Dodge Challenger tries to look like a pillar-less coupe, even though it actually has a B-pillar unlike the original?
I thoght it was a cool idea and it turned out to be a fake. I think I’m entitled to some Internet complaining. I’m not “bent out if shap” in any real sense. I’m just aesthetically disappointed and offended. P
You thought there was nothing but glass on that corner of the car? Seriously?
I thought so too, but I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. Now that I have, I realize it is not really possible. To make it safe, you would have to use so much material in the roof the car would become top heavy, and that wouldn’t be safe either.
Yeah, they’re doing some amazing things with machines these days. I have come to expect engineers to be able to work nearly everything out. That’s what I get from reading patent cases every day, I suppose.
Next time, picsplease. I had to look for myself, lazy OP!
First time I’ve noticed and I agree. If you’re not putting viewable glass on that side, why make it look different?
And there have been back windows in the past that looked like it might reduce blind spots. I agree that this is a fake out and support your complaint.
Do you really feel the passenger side D-pillar of a hatchback creates a “blind spot”? In my experience, it’s narrow enough and far enough that it can’t hide anything behind it.
I hate that newer cars seem to have increasingly worse visibility. But I think it’s more to do with the thick A-pillar and the height of the window (too high up).
Yes, but you’ll be glad of those thick pillars if you ever roll your car.
The Cube is too ugly to be allowed on the roads anyway.
Strangely enough, in that picture, the Cube has the wraparound on the opposite side.
That’s a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) car, which is right-hand-drive. The car is (mostly) reversed.
Well, I’m disappointed you can’t put two giant slices of bread through the roof and have it pop up toasted.
Although not commonly appreciated by the non-technical public, engineers do work within the framework of existing materials science and technology. You might as well be complaining about tail fins, non-functional spoilers, false ducting and any other purely stylistic features in automotive design.
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