Nissan is today launching a social media-led project called Nismo #Jukeride, which will see Nissan and motorsport fans invited to contribute ideas for the creation of the car via social media.
The Nissan Motorsport (Nismo) campaign is being mentored by ex-Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, with the aim to create a socially advanced car with the Skycam, a companion remote control helicopter which docks on the roof.
Fans will be able to submit ideas on Twitter by using the hashtag #jukeride. From these submissions, Johnny Herbert will work with a team of 10 apprentices who will actively participate in the build process, using social technologies such as Google Hangouts to help crowdsource suggestions, including the name of the car.
Herbert said: “This really will be a car like no other. It will have its own helicopter, equipped with cameras, that takes off from the roof to provide a unique perspective on Nismo drivers and give unparalleled insight into their performance. I’m really excited about being involved in this project and helping the Nissan team, along with the apprentices, to create and build something that is genuinely going to improve driving performance.”
Gareth Dunsmore, marketing communications general manager for Nissan in Europe, commented: “Over the next three months we’re going to transform the Juke, the ultimate compact crossover, into the ultimate technological tool for tracking, analysing and enhancing driving performance. We are really excited to work with Johnny and some of our most passionate fans to build what should be one of the most high-tech cars in the world, and in turn use it to push our Nismo drivers to their limits.”
The car, when finished, will have two main aims - to monitor, analyse and enhance the performance of Nismo’s team of drivers, and secondly, to use the camera drone to film all new perspectives on motorsport races to put fans in the heart of the action.