Nissan rolls Versa Note inside world's largest zorb [w/video]

Mon, 27 Oct 2014

With features like lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and moving object detection bundled into its Safety Shield suite, Nissan touts the Versa Note as among the safer vehicles on the road. And to highlight that, the Japanese automaker has taken its diminutive hatchback Zorbing.

Zwhat now, you ask? Zorbing. It's a sport (really more of a recreational activity, if you ask us) that involves getting into a giant inflatable ball, rolling down a slope and, well... that's about the extent of it. It's the same thing we did on hills as kids, only with more plastic. And ridicule.

The CarZorb which Nissan had crafted for the Note measures 60 feet around and weighs a metric ton. Nissan tested the device, which took two months to make, at a "top secret military training facility in the UK," then placed the hatchback inside and rolled it down a hill, all for the sake of the two-minute video clip below. So we hope you enjoy.

NISSAN CREATES WORLD'S BIGGEST ZORB... WITH A CAR INSIDE

- Nissan Note in 'CarZorb' brings Safety Shield technology to life
- Two-storey high ball delivers a new twist on the popular pastime
- Massive 'bubble' highlights how technology can keep cars safe

Nissan has created the world's biggest working Zorb, complete with a full-sized Note safely cushioned inside.

The giant inflatable ball, which measures six metres in diameter and more than 18 metres in circumference, was constructed to highlight Nissan's Safety Shield technology featured on the Nissan Note, its popular small family car.

Nicknamed the 'CarZorb', the colossal structure was successfully rolled down a course of steep hills in a two minute film released today.

Originating in New Zealand, Zorbing sees thrill seekers roll downhill inside an orb, made of strong wearing inflatable plastic. The Zorb is usually made of two inflatable layers, shielding the individual inside from outside dangers.

To demonstrate its Safety Shield technology, Nissan took the popular pastime one step further and built a bespoke Zorb capable of holding the Note. The CarZorb was then tested at a top-secret military training facility in the UK.

Nissan's CarZorb, which took more than two months to build and weighs more than a tonne, was designed to visually represent the manufacturer's Safety Shield technology - a suite of driver assistance technology to alert motorists to potential hazards.

The stunt comes as the all-new Note celebrates its first anniversary on Europe's roads.

The Nissan Note is packed with innovative technology designed to make driving safer. Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning and Moving Object Detection combine to form the Nissan Safety Shield. This unique package is powered by 360° Around View Monitor technology which relies on the unique self-cleaning rear camera - an innovation already breaking new ground in the segment.

Bastien Schupp, Vice President Strategy Marketing, comments, "The Nissan Note has been carefully engineered to provide motorists with a whole range of technology that creates a protective bubble around you and your car. Our Safety Shield technology in particular is unrivalled amongst other small family cars.

"Creating a life size CarZorb to highlight the technology is an exciting and memorable way of reminding people about the benefits of Nissan's Safety Shield."

Making premium technology and sharp design accessible is at the core of the Nissan Note's appeal, with innovative thinking applied to all aspects of its design and engineering.

By Noah Joseph