An 18-year-old man had a knife held to his throat whilst being told to empty his pockets by a group of six people.
However the group - who are believed to have been either youths or young men - left empty-handed after apparently being "spooked" by a car driving nearby.
The victim was shaken but unhurt.
Police are appealing for witnesses - particularly the driver of the car which drove past as the attempted robbery was happening in Chiltern Way, Bestwood Park, at 12.47am on July 6.
Detective Sergeant Karl Thomas, from Nottinghamshire Police's dedicated robbery team, said: "Officers are investigating a number of lines of enquiry but we are particularly keen to speak to the driver of the car who appears to have spooked the suspects, who scattered and ran off.
"This was a frightening experience for the young man who was patted down and threatened before men ran off.
"If you saw anything suspicious in the area, or have any information about those who may be responsible, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 25 of July 6, 2020."
