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Detroit Auto Show: Nissan Forum Concept Family Vehicle Has Time Out Button, Microwave, Nanny Cam


Modestly described as "the ultimate family vehicle," the Nissan Forum Concept is pretty much a rolling home away from home. This capacious vehicle features a couple key features to accommodate any growing brood. My favorite option is the "Time Out" button located on the steering wheel. It will terminate the broadcast of all types of media and entertainment being consumed in the backseat. Kids acting up? Turn that Hannah Montana diva off for good! Parents can monitor their offspring (as well as anything else they might be transporting) with a nanny cam integrated into the roof above the center console. No longer will Dad have to look over his shoulder while simultaneously parallel parking and frantically BlackBerrying. The center console microwave is perplexing. My apartment smells for days after simply popping popcorn—I can't imagine what a few dozen chicken nuggets would do to "that new car smell." Oh well, at least the center row of seats can spin to face each other and the binnacle contains motion controls.

Feature

1:45 PM on Tue Jan 15 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,117 views
22 comments

Comments

  • Image of Ash78 Ash78 at 02:16 PM on 01/15/08 *

    Car-cooking should be done the old-fashioned way. On the exhaust manifold! These kids today with all of their "micro-waves" and newfangled Hannah Banana crap...

  • What tha.....???? Is this trippy car day? Just who do you dress like to drive this. Ace, Gary, Batman, the Green Hornet, Mario?

  • Where's the 'Are we there yet?' button?

  • Image of Rust-MyEnemy Rust-MyEnemy at 02:36 PM on 01/15/08 *

    In the UK the police are renown for pulling drivers over for eating at the wheel. First it was an apple, then a Kit Kat.

    I want to see what is the most elaborate food you can get away with eating behind the wheel. I've done pizza, I've done a Kebab. I was one stage from putting a camping stove on the passenger seat and rustling up an omelette as I drive.

    And now Nissan are giving me a Microwave!

  • Forget the time-out button, how about an eject button? Kids acting up? Send them hurtling onto the pavement.

  • Image of lascauxcaveman lascauxcaveman at 02:37 PM on 01/15/08 *

    And nary a bitchslap button to be found.

  • Image of charles_barrett charles_barrett at 02:46 PM on 01/15/08 *

    If Travis thinks microwave popcorn will play havoc with the "new car smell", he should be glad they nixed the diaper changing-table feature...

  • If it had a bed, I'd like it. A little.

  • I like the styling. The microwave is frickin' stupid. And what ever happened to handing the brood some books to read on a long trip?

    The nanny cam is awesome. Even better would be one that you could velcro to the ceiling wherever you wish that would then communicate wirelessly to the dash. If you've ever had a little one in a rear-facing seat behind you and heard them go strangely silent after a big coughing fit leaving you wondering if they've just swallowed their tongue you'll appreciate this. Or am I the only one with that experience?

    Now, this car needs two more features: a diesel V6 with 400 ft-lb of torque for front-wheel burnouts, and a diaper changing table to fold down from the backs of the 3rd row seat (or slide out from under them) so you can change a diaper while standing under the trunk out of the rain. I should patent that idea.

  • @Charles_Barrett: news-flash: Any vehicle with a tailgate or trunk already has a built in changing table. Each of my three has been 'freshened-up' back there at least once.

  • @saabophile2: see here: FreeMan

    The liftgate of a minivan does tend to keep the rain out. A regular trunk lid at least keeps the kid mostly dry.

  • @FreeMan: I've done the same thing many times. Actually, the very first thing I did in my Saab 9-5 wagon after being handed the keys by the salesman was change my 1-year old's diaper in the trunk, poop and all. The salesman was shocked speechless. What was I going to do, lay him on the bathroom floor?

    I want a changing table to fold down from the 3rd row seat when it's up, since that leaves a deep well behind the seats. When the seat's folded the nice flat floor is already convenient. You know, 'cause re-folding the seats can be a pain.

  • Image of charles_barrett charles_barrett at 03:41 PM on 01/15/08 *

    @FreeMan: I am childless, as are most of my friends (not the lesbians... they reproduce like crazy!) Your comment and saabophile2's show me how ignorant on certain topics I am. Mea culpa...

  • Microwave? Bah! They should have put in an Aga cooker FTMFW!

    If they build this (Forum), I will come. I'll probably buy one too.

    But can they please burn every Quest first?

  • Image of Bentos, Der Frischmacher! Bentos, Der Frischmacher! at 04:10 PM on 01/15/08 *

    DVD, Microwave and Bigger than my apartment in L.A.???? I'm moving in!

  • Image of 2 GIЯLS 1 POLAЯ 2 GIЯLS 1 POLAЯ at 04:13 PM on 01/15/08 *

    When they put in a soundproof power down/up (mostly up) privacy window dividing front occupants (parents) from rear (brats), then it'll be a family vehicle.

  • @POLAR: Im only 15, but if they built that I would really appreciate it so I cant hear my stupid fathers non-sense stories of how he used to do "great" stuff wen he was a kid, and I would be able to TXT comfortably

  • Is it just me or does the front seat look like a pregnant woman wearing a bikini in that side pic of the interior?

  • If it was painted yellow, then the front end would remind me of Pac Man.

  • @ash78: HAVE DONE.

    My grandfather (who was an aircraft engineer during the war and seemed to think he still was... think of the old rooster in "Chicken Run", that's him) told me he actually had at one point rigged up a rotisserie that drove on a reduction pulley off the fanbelt. He says it worked fine until you had to kick it down to passing gear, at which point he usually lost the chicken to the engine compartment. Never got to see it, but I did wrap some chicken breasts in tinfoil and tie them to the exhaust manifold when driving out to the lake a couple times.

    AS GOD INTENDED. No friggin' microwaves for me!

    Although we did have a bar fridge installed in the trunk for a while. Eventually replaced with a medical-grade cooler, usually used for hauling organ transplants... because with a bit of ice, it worked way better than the bar fridge. Scary, that. I got pretty good at it. It reached the point where I could arrive at the lake with my meal already cooked and ready to eat.

  • What would really add value is a NAV system that locates adoption agencies.

    For pick up, but mostly for drop off.

  • Gross! Mommy and Daddy who have just about had it, feel free to spirit this one away, and thank you!

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