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Infiniti to finally decide on Q60 Project Black S production by year's end

Remember this car? It's over two years old already.

Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
2 min read
Infiniti Q60 Project Black S
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Infiniti Q60 Project Black S

We'd really love an Infiniti with an F1-style powertrain. Just saying.

Infiniti

Patience is a virtue more often that not, but not for eager gearheads. Case in point: the Infiniti Q60 Project Black S.

The Japanese luxury brand first showed the Q60 Project Black S way back in 2017 at the Geneva Motor Show, and since then, it's been radio silence on whether we'll see a production version. decided to clear up the car's status on Thursday, but basically kept the car in limbo.

"It is still too early to predict the outcome as we need a solid business case, but the latest rounds of testing have proved its unique performance and underlines our pursuit of electrified performance," Mike Colleran, deputy chairman of Infiniti said. He added the brand will make a final decision about the car's production possibility by the end of 2019.

While it seems strange to provide an update on a car that may or may not reach production, Infiniti has continued to use the car as a rolling testbed. In the past two years, prototypes have run Formula One-inspired powertrain technology. Specifically, the Project Black S sports a dual-hybrid powertrain. 

The starting point is one standard twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, but the company includes two heat-energy harvesting systems (MGU-H) and kinetic energy harvesting system (MGU-K). Both store energy that would otherwise be lost and wasted to help produce more power. In this case, the engine makes up to 563 horsepower compared to 400 hp the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 normally makes. Some of the saved electricity works to spool the turbochargers instantly, while other portions head to the rear wheels directly during acceleration.

Should the Q60 Project Black S make production, the show car also featured lightweight materials, unique brakes and more aggressive bodywork over the standard Q60. The yellow accents are, no doubt, a nod to the Renault F1 Team. In fact, Renault driver Nico Hülkenberg gave the car a thumbs up at the end of powertrain testing and development. Now, all we can do is wait for a final answer.

Infiniti Project Black S is an electrified weapon

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Watch this: Infiniti Project Black S incorporates Formula 1 tech for its latest concept