Has there ever been a recent concept vehicle that’s been as debated as Nissan’s IDx sports car? First introduced in 2013 to mixed reviews, the two IDx concepts have been the source of plenty of arguments, none more important than their status. Depending on who or when you asked, the IDx was either headed to production or the garbage bin with seemingly no consensus on what to do with the car. Today, the IDx remains under wraps, but a recent comment made by Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura could give fans of the concept reason to hope once again.

Speaking with Motoring Australia, Nakamura hinted the possibility of seeing the IDx past the concept phase. In his own words, Nakamura said that Nissan is still “exploring many opportunities” and that a production version of the sports car is “one of the opportunities that we are exploring.”

Okay, so Nakamura didn’t exactly say anything that hasn’t been said before about the car. At one point, there was even talk that the production version of the IDx would not follow in the concept’s retro-styled bodywork, but would instead be designed to look more up-to-the-times. On the flip side, there was also news that the IDx wouldn’t be built, but it’s design would live on in other models.

Well, more than three years after the two concepts debuted at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, none of the reported scenarios in the past have borne any fruit. And now we have Shiro Nakamura, as influential a figure within Nissan as anybody, hinting that there may still be life to the sports car concept.

At this point, it’s become difficult to take one side and not be weary of the other. The status of the IDx has waffled over and over that any other development should be taken with a grain of salt, even if it comes from somebody as plugged in as Shiro Nakamura.

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I'll believe it when I see it

Yes, this is what happens to someone who’s been fed stories from both sides. It’s hard to believe what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. So in lieu of having turned cynical over the perceived status of the Nissan IDx sports car, I’m going to take the always-prudent “wait-and-see” approach with regards to what Nissan is planning.

I will say that from an outsider’s perspective, there are some valid reasons on giving life to a production model. For one, Nissan needs a car to compete in the market created by the Mazda MX-5 and currently occupied by a number of other competing sports cars like the Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ. There’s plenty of room for a production version of the IDx in that segment and it’s only right that we see these rivals lock horns and compete for that market.

Beyond that though, I can’t say what Nissan’s real objectives are here. I hope that some kind of clarity comes into the forefront in the future. I’m even a little more confident now that Nissan’s design boss Shiro Nakamura has gone public on the relative status of the sports car. Sure, he didn’t specify on what he said, as well he should because there doesn’t appear to be anything concrete planned at the moment.

So in light of this development, I do hope that we won’t see another report to the contrary down the road. As polarizing as the IDx sports cars were in concept guise, I wouldn’t mind one bit if Nissan brought it to production. It’s about time it brings some buzz back to this market.

Read our full review on the Nissan IDx Concept here.