Nissan challenges convention to build the world's first seven-seater bobsleigh

Nissan challenges convention to build the world's first seven-seater bobsleigh

Nissan draws on the design and technology of the #nissan X-Trail to transform the standard bobsleigh into a sleek seven-seater
Inaugural run of the world’s first seven-seater bobsleigh at the historic Olympic track in Innsbruck, Austria
Watch the first run of the seven-seater bobsleigh: https://youtu.be/-tL2RLeYGEI

Nissan has challenged convention with the launch of the world’s first seven-seater bobsleigh in Innsbruck, Austria.

The X-Trail Bobsleigh was inspired by the design of the #nissan X-Trail and undertook its inaugural run at the historic Olympic track in Igls, piloted by British Olympic medallist Sean Olsson.

Nissan worked with bobsleigh experts to transform a traditional four-man sled into an X-Trail inspired seven-seater capable of reaching 100 km/h and pulling a G-force of 4.5G*.Watch the video here:

The bobsleigh mimics the #nissan X-Trail’s bold design, with distinctive front aspect, headlamps and seven-seater option. It gives passengers a 360-degree, bird’s-eye view to capture all of the action - identical to the #nissan X-Trail’s Around View Monitor system.

Like the bobsleigh, the X-Trail’s sophisticated ALL MODE 4x4-i system helps the driver keep control even in ice and snow.

Darryl Scriven, Design Manager #nissan Design Europe (NDE), teamed up with expert bobsled manufacturer Diego Menardi and sport expert Ian Richardson to morph car design with Olympic aerodynamics.

Ian Richardson and Diego Menardi have over 50 years of combined experience in the industry, delivering Olympic track experiences and sleighs to winning teams across the globe.

Darryl said: “We wanted to give the opportunity to experience first-hand the adventurous nature of our #crossover segment through the thrill and excitement of Olympic bobsleighing.

Nissan Design Europe took inspiration from the shape and character of our X-Trail to create the X-Trail Bobsleigh, which was handcrafted by Diego Menardi at his workshop in Cortina. The outcome mimics the fresh ideas and technologies from the brand's ground-breaking #crossover models.”

The seven-seater was developed using sketches and computer-aided design (CAD). The detail on the bobsleigh nose was crafted to express the X-Trail’s V-motion grille and capture the sculpture of the hood character lines.

This work was complemented by Diego Menardi’s structural lengthening of the cabin to accommodate seven passengers.

Vital statistics: how the X-Trail and X-Trail Bobsleigh compare

X-TRAIL Tekna 1.6 dCi 4x4		VS	X-Trail Bobsleigh
Feature	Statistic		Feature	Statistic
Seats	Seven		Seats	Seven
Height	1,710mm		Height	850mm
Length	4,640mm		Length	4,200mm
Gross weight	2,160kg		Gross weight	895kg
Kerb weight	1,580kg		Kerb weight	310kg
Engine size	1.6 dCi		Engine size	N/A
0-100km/h	11 seconds		0-100km/h	30 seconds
Top speed	186km/h		Top speed	105km/h
Power	130PS (HP)		Power	621 HP (463 KW)