The company’s focus shifted from creating a niche performance coupe to building one.
We can’t help but forget the Infiniti Q60 Project Black S Concept. It was expected to use Formula One powertrain technology. According to Automotive News, the undertaking was canceled.
Kyle Bazemore, spokesperson for Infiniti, stated that “the concept continues to inspire me.” Automotive News . However, the Project Black S will never see production.
Roland Krueger, an ex-Infiniti boss, was reportedly responsible for the Q60 Project Black S idea within his company. The program was abandoned by Krueger when he moved to to take over Dyson’s automotive development.
Q60 Project Black S was powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine with three motor-generator units to recover energy and a 4.4 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery to store the power. This setup produced 563 horsepower (420 kW) as well as 350 pound-feet (475 Newton meters) of torque. The company estimates that it was capable of reaching speeds of 62 miles an hour (100 km per hour) in less than four seconds. Two fully-running prototypes were built by the automaker to test this powertrain.
Infiniti’s decision makers were still making the final decision in August 2019 about whether or not to produce the Project Black S. They gave it the nod.
The Project Black S isn’t going to be lost on dealers. They are not discouraged. “That’s a volume vehicle. That’s where this company should go,” Ed Lennon of Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board, stated Automotive News.
Under Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi’s new strategy, Infiniti is focusing on appealing to the United States and China. This strategy might not include replacing sedans or coupes with rear-drive engines when they are retired. There will be more crossovers.