Is the Project Black S Prototype the Infiniti We’ve Been Waiting For?
Nissan creates another really cool concept and then quietly hides it away. However, there’s always hope.
Way later than we all could have thought, but finally Infiniti will be getting a version of the GT-R for the upscale Nissan line. That car is the Project Black S Prototype and will have F1 Hybrid tech on board in order to make performance even stronger. The car was moved from concept status to prototype late last year at the Paris auto show. A few years ago the Q50 Eau Rouge concept seemed like a sure thing and the expected choice for the automaker to make good on as a Japanese competitor to the rocketship M5 from BMW.
Now, Nissan has this hopped-up sports car based on the Q60 coupe that the brand can ride into some good press with. In building the car Nissan leaned on its partnership with Renault Sport Formula borrowing some powertrain energy recovery hybrid tech from their racing cars. That system harvests electrical energy using dual generators, one connected to the drivelines and one on the engine’s electrically powered turbo. The same generator that harvests braking power will deliver torque to the engine’s crankshaft thusly boosting power output. To put it simply, power will be increased and turbo lag will be decreased. That system in the Project Black S results in 563 horsepower which is over 163 horsepower than a Red Sport 400.
The Black S Prototype comes with tons of aero upgrades, gaping vents for the intakes and large 21-inch wheels. Nissan says that the Black S could be the first in what would be an M or AMG-esque performance division as a fancier Nismo level. Things have been quiet on the gutsy coupe since the Paris show but we’re still looking forward to the car coming to market sometime in the near future.