Nissan Cube: A series of Cubes

There are some things the Japanese are just better at than us, but there are other things we just don't get. Tentacle porn, for one. The Nissan Cube was one design that never really took off outside the land of the rising sun, but at the Geneva International Motor Show we've seen a rounder, softer, less cube-like Cube for the European market.

This third generation of Cube will launch in Europe in 2010. It'll be powered by 1.5-litre diesel or 1.6-litre petrol engines over here. Car Craver Rory 'Ruler of the Road' Reid met the eco-friendly Denki Cube at the British Motor Show last summer, and an electric version of the new Cube is reportedly in the pipeline.

Showing a level of whimsy not usually found in PR nonsense, the Cube's press release suggests that the car mixes "the charm of Godzilla and the wit of Mothra". We don't remember Godzilla being that charming when he was stomping Tokyo, or Mothra zinging around too many bon mots, but we get the idea: it's wacky, it's quirky, it's -- yes -- zany.

The idea of the cube shape is that the wheels are placed as far into the corners as possible. This creates more space inside, and gives the car a long 2.5m wheelbase. The rear window has an odd asymmetrical shape, wrapping around the back corner of the car to give the left-hand driver an unobstructed view. Judging by some of the mock-ups, a right-hand drive version will also be available.

Click through our gallery to see the new smooth Cube.