The Gran Turismo movie out in New Zealand theatres today (August 10) partly celebrates what Nissan did to bring young drivers into top-level motorsport with GT Academy. If you want to know more about that, Googling "GT Academy" might be a better idea than watching the movie (check out our review here). Enough said.
Anyway, now the Nissan Formula E Team has zeroed in on even younger future racers, by talking to children aged 6-10 in an "EV School" series in the UK.
The series follows the release of global research findings from One Poll, where 6000 kids from around the world were asked what they think motorsport will look like in 2043.
Predictions ranged from racing cars will float, to some going twice as fast as now, or being so safe that anyone can drive them.
Nissan Formula E Team drivers Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz have been involved in classroom sessions, which also allowed the kids to ask questions about the drivers' experiences behind the wheel.
Aside form sharing their wisdom, the youngsters were put through their paces in mini electric Nissan Ariyas. Which was clearly the best bit.
20 THINGS KIDS THINK RACECARS WILL DO IN THE FUTURE
- Fly
- Swim through water
- Change colour
- Drive fast on snow and ice
- Jump over other cars
- Create a shield to protect the car from crashes
- Go a million miles an hour
- Robot pit assistants
- Transform into something else like transformers
- Drive as fast in reverse as forwards
- Move at the speed of light
- Have tyres that change themselves
- Shoot lasers
- Be controlled by your mind
- Spherical wheels (like a ball) to go in any direction
- Turn invisible
- Be controlled by your eyes
- Shoot fire
- Move other cars out the way
- Teleport
