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First shown at the 1991 Tokyo Auto Show, Nissan’s Tri-X Concept was a rear-drive midsize coupe powered by a 32-valve V8. Nissan was testing the market for a luxury coupe to sell alongside its Asian-market performance coupes, the Skyline and Skyline GT-R with the Tri-X. As such, the Tri-X featured a leather-lined cabin with four-place seating, an automatic transmission (the Skyline came only with a manual), and a high-tech control interface. (Take note of the trackball-style controller in the center console.) Pitched by Nissan as “responsible,” the Tri-X’s 4.5-liter engine was tuned to run on methanol as well as gasoline, a feature thought to be eco-conscious at the time.
The Tri-X was a fully functional vehicle, but it was never displayed on the U.S. auto-show circuit (note the right-hand-drive dashboard), so it’s likely more unknown than forgotten for Americans.
Images: Nissan; Leading Edge Design.
