Infiniti’s wild Q60 Project Black S originally unveiled as a concept at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show looks to be dead.
A prototype of the coupe which was to feature Formula One technology was shown in 2018 and as recently as 2019 we learned that Infiniti executives were still mulling whether to give the production green light.
Infiniti Q60 Project Black S prototype
Well, they decided against it, Infiniti spokesman Kyle Bazemore told Automotive News (subscription required) in an interview published Tuesday.
The news doesn't come as a huge surprise as Infiniti last December finally ended its involvement in F1 after 10 years. First Infiniti was a title sponsor of Red Bull Racing, and then it was a sponsor of Renault—a deal that included a somewhat dubious hybrid technology tie-up where Infiniti engineers helped develop the energy recovery systems for Renault's F1 cars.
Infiniti Q60 Project Black S prototype
In addition, the Q60 Project Black S was the brainchild of former Infiniti chief Roland Krueger, who wanted a halo vehicle to add some excitement to the lineup. However, he left the company in early 2019 and then the project largely went under the radar.
The same thing pretty much happened with Infiniti's previous attempt to launch a halo vehicle. In 2014, the automaker unveiled the Q50 Eau Rouge, a Nissan GT-R-powered sedan championed by Krueger's predecessor, Johan de Nysschen. Plans for the Q50 Eau Rouge were also pretty much quashed after de Nysschen quit to join Cadillac.
Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept, 2014 Detroit Auto Show
The Q60 Project Black S was developed in partnership with the Renault F1 team. Peak power of around 500 hp came from Infiniti’s 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 augmented by a sophisticated hybrid system. The hybrid system is similar to the setup used in F1, where there are motor-generators integrated with the turbochargers, plus a motor-generator integrated with the driveline. Mercedes-Benz AMG's One hypercar will feature a similar system.
At the time of the Q60 Project Black S's reveal, Infiniti said one of the reasons for building the car was to gauge interest in a new performance division to be called Black S and utilizing F1-derived technology.
