What's the news?
Infiniti, which is still very much a look-but-don't-touch brand in Ireland (it's Nissan's luxury alter-ego, but there are still no plans to introduce it here) has shown off its re-engineered Q60 Black S prototype concept at the Paris Motor Show.
We saw the Q60 Black S at the Geneva show last year, and it's still a slinky, quite sexy-looking potential rival to the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5. This time around, though, it's packing Formula One power...
No, Infiniti hasn't 'done an AMG' and fitted an actual F1 engine to its concept, but through its connections to the Renault F1 team, it has given the Black S an interesting hybrid system.
So, the Black S gets a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, but in what Infiniti claims is a world first, backs it up with an F1-style 'Dual Hybrid' setup, which uses both recovered kinetic energy (through the brakes) and heat energy (from a heat exchanger that scavenges excess warmth from the engine, turbo and exhaust and turns it into electricity) to boost the power. That figure lines up at a pretty impressive 563hp, up from the standard Q60 V6's 400hp. Infiniti quotes a sub-4.0 seconds 0-100km/h time.
Infiniti also says that it has made other modifications to the original concept car, including trimming out weight (down to an impressive, given all the hybrid gubbins, 1,775kg), updating the interior (which is now said to be 'motorsport inspired') and improving its aerodynamics.
Anything else?
"Infiniti has reached another milestone on its road to electrification. Building on the strength and success of the electric vehicle expertise of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, Infiniti is showing the Project Black S, a high-performance prototype with F1 technology resulting from collaboration within the Alliance. The Project Black S represents the very top end of electrification in the Alliance portfolio, and is another example of Infiniti's entrepreneurial spirit on its journey to electrification from 2021 onward. Project Black S utilises high power and smart energy management from advanced powertrains, a thrilling dynamic capability on road and track, and a performance-oriented aesthetic. A collaborative venture between Infiniti and the Renault Sport Formula One Team, the Project Black S prototype is a testbed for new ideas and technologies, demonstrating how our Alliance partnerships could make our ambitious visions a reality" said Roland Krueger, Infiniti's president.