BIG TURNAROUND IN CAR DESIGN

+ Click to Enlarge DOUBLE BUBBLE CAR: The second generation of Nissan's Pivo three-seater is up and running ahead of the Tokyo auto show.

October 9, 2007

Tokyo, Japan - For all those drivers that hate parallel parking and anything else that requires use of the reverse gear, Nissan could have the car for you.

The automaker recently unveiled the Pivo 2, a battery-powered concept car with a rotating cabin that makes going backwards obsolete, since the driver can turn to face the direction he or she needs to go.

Its wheels also turn 90 degrees so parallel parking is out, too.

"With this easy-to-handle car, you can feel comfortable while driving," said Masahiko Tabe, senior manager of the advanced vehicle development group at Nissan.

"You can go everywhere without worrying about your driving skills."

The car is not yet for commercial sale but is a three-seater with a robotic device that monitors the driver's expression and tailors its conversation accordingly.

The device, able to converse in English or Japanese, can help an angry driver overcome road rage or wake you up if you seem likely to doze off at the wheel.

"Are you sleeping? There's a cafe 500m ahead," the device said during a demonstration.

The Pivo 2 will be showcased at the Tokyo auto show later in October.

But why Pivo 2? Well, there was an earlier version called, simply, Pivo that was shown in Japan in September 2005 and had further publicity on motoring.co.za in February 2006.