Nissan Concept 20-23 is a racing-inspired electric hot hatch

Nissan is celebrating the 20th birthday of its design studio in London, England, with an electric hot hatch concept called 20-23. The design study is characterized by a racing-inspired body kit and an interior that illustrates what minimalism could look like in the distant future.

At its core, the 20-23 takes the form of a two-door hatchback, a body style that Nissan hasn’t offered on the European market since the third-generation Micra (sold as the March in some markets) retired in 2010. It’s not a humble, city-friendly econobox, however; it wears a deep front bumper, punched-out wheel arches with vents, and a huge rear wing, and it rides on center-locking (or center-locking-look) wheels.

Nissan explains that many of these add-ons are, in theory, functional. Air enters the scoop ahead of each front wheel, cools the front brakes, and exits on the other side. Similarly, the vents integrated into the wheel arches reduce the pressure that tends to build up in the wheel wells.

We say “in theory” because the concept’s roots in reality end there. While the hatchback is equipped with Lamborghini-style scissor doors, it’s an exterior model so it doesn’t have an interior. Nissan nonetheless published digital renderings that show designers envision a cabin with a pair of racing seats, a rectangular steering wheel fitted with an array of buttons, a handful of screens, and a fire extinguisher. The brand calls this layout “a futuristic interpretation of a racing car’s bare functionality” and adds that it minimizes driver distractions.

Similarly, there’s no word yet on what powers the concept. All we know is that it was designed with battery power in mind, and that the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel allow the driver to adjust the drivetrain’s performance.

Nothing suggests the Nissan Concept 20-23 will reach production in any way, shape, or form.