Nissan Let Its Students Build Whatever They Wanted And This Is What Happened

Nissan is heading to next month’s Tokyo Auto Salon with a trio of modified showpieces crafted not by seasoned engineers, but by students from its own automotive colleges in Japan.

Read: Nissan Teased A Mysterious Nismo And It’s Definitely Not A Z

These builds won’t be heading to showrooms, but that’s beside the point. Each one reimagines a classic from Nissan’s past, blending heritage lines with contemporary customization in a way that feels playful and technically sharp.

Retro Makeover With a Twist

The first of the three is based on a Nissan March, also known as the Micra in some markets, though you’d be forgiven for not recognizing it at first glance. This one’s been reshaped to echo the lines of an early-1960s Bluebird, trading compact hatchback for nostalgia.

It was transformed by a team of students at the Nissan Kyoto Automobile College who study in the automotive maintenance and customization department.

The team set out to create a car that would appeal to women, painting it in a bright shade of Sky Mirage blue with a contrasting white roof. Gone is the original front end of the March and in its place sits a new hood, grille, lights, and bumpers similar to the classic Bluebird.

Datsun Coupe With a Kick

A second team from the same Kyoto campus took a different route. They began with a Datsun Sunny Coupe and reimagined it using custom components, including dramatically flared wheel arches and a fresh set of aftermarket wheels. The bodywork has been resprayed in a vivid red that leaves no doubt about the car’s new attitude.

The changes go well beyond the exterior. Under the hood, the stock engine has been pulled in favor of Nissan’s SR20, the twin-cam four-cylinder made famous in the S15-generation Silvia.

Skyline With Student Swagger

Rounding out the trio is a customized R30 Skyline, built by students enrolled in the automotive maintenance and car body master course at Nissan Aichi Automotive College. This one took just two and a half months to complete, but the end result looks anything but rushed.

The Skyline now wears a red-and-black paint scheme and a dramatically altered body kit. Highlights include an oversized front splitter and a towering rear wing, giving it an aggressive presence that’s impossible to miss.