Geneva Preview: Infiniti Concept coming with Louis Vuitton Luggage
#106
03-03-2009, 02:00 PM
Nothing...this car probably won't be produced. At least, not now. The design cues will make into successive vehicles and the de-tuned hybrid engine will find its way into the rest of the lineup.
#108
03-03-2009, 02:09 PM
#110
03-03-2009, 04:16 PM
#115
03-03-2009, 05:40 PM
#116
03-03-2009, 05:42 PM
#118
03-03-2009, 05:48 PM
Here is everything you need to know!!
http://www.timescolonist.com/Cars/In...611/story.html
No mere spectator when it come to design, Infiniti has been a player in the production of beautiful cars for several years now.
But the luxury brand from Nissan blew the socks off auto industry types at the Geneva Motor Show Tuesday with the Essence Concept.
You can almost see the Infiniti signature in the car, powered by a gasoline-hybrid engine based on Infiniti's 3.7-litre, V6. Fitted with twin turbochargers, the V6 will pull 434 h.p., but backed by the electric engine, total output reaches 597 horsepower. Yikes.
More of a statement, however, is the design, which has hints of the Fisker Karma and Maserati, but with more creases and a monstrous snout. The interior is equally spectacular, showing what is possible from the Japanese automaker, which say the Essence points to things to come from Infiniti in the way of technologies, including hybrid, and design cues that will distinguish Infiniti production cars of the coming years.
For more information, see the press release below.
INFINITI ESSENCE: THE MAGNIFICATION OF "INSPIRED PERFORMANCE"
ROLLE, Switzerland (March 3, 2009) - The essence of the Infiniti brand distilled into one car and then taken to the extremes to satisfy the world's most demanding car enthusiasts ... this is the Infiniti Essence.
Presented as a concept at the 79th International Motor Show of Geneva, Essence is a celebration of Infiniti and its 20 years history as a creator of performance cars. But equally it is an inspiring exploration into the brand's future.
The dramatic design, technology and performance statement is a 600PS, petrol/electric hybrid coupe with rear-wheel drive. What Essence is not is merely an indulgent birthday present from Infiniti to itself.
This concept embodies Infiniti's core values as an inspiration for the future as much a celebration of the past. Essence showcases many of the technologies, including hybrid, and design cues that will distinguish Infiniti production cars of the coming years. And by steering Infiniti's guiding principle of "Inspired Performance" into the super-performance, super-luxury coupe market for the first time, it reaffirms Infiniti's place among the world's most exclusive and vibrant car brands.
ESSENCE: AN OVERVIEW
• A front-engined, two-seat, 600PS luxury coupe concept, 4.7m long
• First motor show preview of Infiniti's petrol/electric hybrid drivetrain
• Capable of vast speeds where conditions allow, zero emissions where they don't
• Rear-wheel drive for maximum driver involvement
• Fresh design language to influence future production models
• Previews new safety technology including Back-up Collision Prevention
• Minimalist and intensely driver-focused interior
• "New luxury" meets traditional Japanese craftsmanship
• Bespoke Louis Vuitton fitted luggage to maximise trans-continental capability
ESSENCE: THE CONCEPT
"An Essence owner is characterized by his or her fearless self confidence; he or she is an intellectual hero rather than just a successful money maker."
Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning
Essence began life not in the design studio but in Infiniti's product planning department. Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning, and his team might not, at the start of the project, have known how Essence would look, but they did know what it had to be, why it had to exist – and who it would appeal to.
"Essence is a brand icon," Francois Bancon said. "It is driven more by a conceptual approach than by any design execution. It is not just an object. It isn't a teaser for a new model. It is solely dedicated to Infiniti brand promotion, to demonstrate and advocate the Infiniti unique values."
The concept called for a very clear understanding of who the super-luxury coupe's potential customers would be. Painstakingly, Bancon and his team of advanced product planners built up a picture of a typical Essence owner. It was a profile that showed an uncompromising, risk-taking 42-year-old passionate about the best things in life, but equally passionate about not flaunting them. "These consumers don't need to demonstrate to others," said Bancon. "They are already at the next step of achievement that leads to rewarding themselves first."
Francois Bancon went on: "We wanted a new way of mixing various ingredients to get a car that was reserved but with a big presence, something trendy but also indicating the next trend. We wanted a car that aspired to become a cult. It had to be exclusive, smart and mysterious. For the driver, it had to sum up the six-word essence of Essence:
Everything I want, nothing I don't
ESSENCE IN DETAIL
1. DESIGN: DYNAMIC ADEYAKA
"The design embeds a sense of mystery, a sense of being in the know. Essence is not about showing signs of wealth and success."
Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Design
With breathtaking good looks and perfect proportions, Essence exerts a powerful pull on all those who love cars. It looks like a driver's car, one that would be right at home spearing down the world's grandest motoring routes.
But Essence is no aggressive sports car. Infiniti's "Dynamic Adeyaka" attitude ensures Essence is single-minded, but also inviting, sophisticated and born of inspiration from both the human and natural worlds. To further boost its emotional appeal, it features details that bring a very modern take to some very old Japanese traditions.
The designers' aim was to merge all existing Infiniti design cues with fresh design language in a shape that the 20-year-old marque has never before attempted. The result is highly sculptural yet also very delicate. Essence speaks of power but not intimidation.
The bonnet is, as you would expect of an Infiniti, long, and the rear deck short. Together with a flowing "wave" profile between muscular front and rear wheelarches, Essence at first appears to be in the classic sports car mould. But there is nothing retro about Essence.
The side window graphics bring a particularly innovative and distinctive edge to the styling. The window appears to be resting on a ledge, its razor sharp line in contrast to the concave sweep of the upper body just below it. Imagine juxtaposing flowing water with the stark outline of a canyon landscape.
The rear section also features complex surfacing with concave "scoops" that flow down the rear pillars from one of Essence's most distinctive design cues: a C-shaped kink to the side windows' trailing edge. Outlined by a wide flourish of stainless steel, it adds instant movement to the car even when it is standing still.
One of the most distinctive details is the trim around the side air vents. The simple yet delicate shape, finely finished in aluminium, is based on the "kanzashi", a hairpin used by women when wearing the kimono. Other lines and details are inspired by the wide brush strokes of Japanese calligraphy. Essence represents a successful merging of iconic cultural cues with automotive aesthetics.
Essence's front is characterised by Infiniti's signature double-arch grille, set at an angle that suggests the car is about to leap forward. There is an illuminated Infiniti badge at its heart. Rounded corners effectively hide the front overhang and make this 4.7m-long car appear anything but big in the flesh.
The grille is framed by subtle strips of stainless steel but there's little other trim and no other grilles or intakes, not even foglights. At the front as over the rest of the car, Essence eschews superfluous body embellishments that could interrupt the graceful strength of the whole. The door handles are slithers of push buttons flush with the body while even rear-view mirrors must make way for minuscule cameras teased out of the A-pillars.
More familiar Infiniti cues include the lights. At the front the signature L-shaped modules taper back on to the bulging guards, picked out at their top edge by a row of LEDs. Slender fillets of red light curve around the car at the back, overlapping with the boot opening and framing the vestigial spoiler. Edged by more stainless steel, the spoiler appears to have been pushed out from within the car.
The windscreen flows back into a full glass roof that then tapers down towards the boot opening – making just one more memorable view of a car that doesn't have a wrong angle to it.
On design, Essence is simple and amazingly complex, classical and totally dynamic all at the same time. Most of all as the epitome of "dynamic adeyaka" it boasts massive presence. Once seen, never forgotten.
http://www.timescolonist.com/Cars/In...611/story.html
No mere spectator when it come to design, Infiniti has been a player in the production of beautiful cars for several years now.
But the luxury brand from Nissan blew the socks off auto industry types at the Geneva Motor Show Tuesday with the Essence Concept.
You can almost see the Infiniti signature in the car, powered by a gasoline-hybrid engine based on Infiniti's 3.7-litre, V6. Fitted with twin turbochargers, the V6 will pull 434 h.p., but backed by the electric engine, total output reaches 597 horsepower. Yikes.
More of a statement, however, is the design, which has hints of the Fisker Karma and Maserati, but with more creases and a monstrous snout. The interior is equally spectacular, showing what is possible from the Japanese automaker, which say the Essence points to things to come from Infiniti in the way of technologies, including hybrid, and design cues that will distinguish Infiniti production cars of the coming years.
For more information, see the press release below.
INFINITI ESSENCE: THE MAGNIFICATION OF "INSPIRED PERFORMANCE"
ROLLE, Switzerland (March 3, 2009) - The essence of the Infiniti brand distilled into one car and then taken to the extremes to satisfy the world's most demanding car enthusiasts ... this is the Infiniti Essence.
Presented as a concept at the 79th International Motor Show of Geneva, Essence is a celebration of Infiniti and its 20 years history as a creator of performance cars. But equally it is an inspiring exploration into the brand's future.
The dramatic design, technology and performance statement is a 600PS, petrol/electric hybrid coupe with rear-wheel drive. What Essence is not is merely an indulgent birthday present from Infiniti to itself.
This concept embodies Infiniti's core values as an inspiration for the future as much a celebration of the past. Essence showcases many of the technologies, including hybrid, and design cues that will distinguish Infiniti production cars of the coming years. And by steering Infiniti's guiding principle of "Inspired Performance" into the super-performance, super-luxury coupe market for the first time, it reaffirms Infiniti's place among the world's most exclusive and vibrant car brands.
ESSENCE: AN OVERVIEW
• A front-engined, two-seat, 600PS luxury coupe concept, 4.7m long
• First motor show preview of Infiniti's petrol/electric hybrid drivetrain
• Capable of vast speeds where conditions allow, zero emissions where they don't
• Rear-wheel drive for maximum driver involvement
• Fresh design language to influence future production models
• Previews new safety technology including Back-up Collision Prevention
• Minimalist and intensely driver-focused interior
• "New luxury" meets traditional Japanese craftsmanship
• Bespoke Louis Vuitton fitted luggage to maximise trans-continental capability
ESSENCE: THE CONCEPT
"An Essence owner is characterized by his or her fearless self confidence; he or she is an intellectual hero rather than just a successful money maker."
Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning
Essence began life not in the design studio but in Infiniti's product planning department. Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning, and his team might not, at the start of the project, have known how Essence would look, but they did know what it had to be, why it had to exist – and who it would appeal to.
"Essence is a brand icon," Francois Bancon said. "It is driven more by a conceptual approach than by any design execution. It is not just an object. It isn't a teaser for a new model. It is solely dedicated to Infiniti brand promotion, to demonstrate and advocate the Infiniti unique values."
The concept called for a very clear understanding of who the super-luxury coupe's potential customers would be. Painstakingly, Bancon and his team of advanced product planners built up a picture of a typical Essence owner. It was a profile that showed an uncompromising, risk-taking 42-year-old passionate about the best things in life, but equally passionate about not flaunting them. "These consumers don't need to demonstrate to others," said Bancon. "They are already at the next step of achievement that leads to rewarding themselves first."
Francois Bancon went on: "We wanted a new way of mixing various ingredients to get a car that was reserved but with a big presence, something trendy but also indicating the next trend. We wanted a car that aspired to become a cult. It had to be exclusive, smart and mysterious. For the driver, it had to sum up the six-word essence of Essence:
Everything I want, nothing I don't
ESSENCE IN DETAIL
1. DESIGN: DYNAMIC ADEYAKA
"The design embeds a sense of mystery, a sense of being in the know. Essence is not about showing signs of wealth and success."
Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Design
With breathtaking good looks and perfect proportions, Essence exerts a powerful pull on all those who love cars. It looks like a driver's car, one that would be right at home spearing down the world's grandest motoring routes.
But Essence is no aggressive sports car. Infiniti's "Dynamic Adeyaka" attitude ensures Essence is single-minded, but also inviting, sophisticated and born of inspiration from both the human and natural worlds. To further boost its emotional appeal, it features details that bring a very modern take to some very old Japanese traditions.
The designers' aim was to merge all existing Infiniti design cues with fresh design language in a shape that the 20-year-old marque has never before attempted. The result is highly sculptural yet also very delicate. Essence speaks of power but not intimidation.
The bonnet is, as you would expect of an Infiniti, long, and the rear deck short. Together with a flowing "wave" profile between muscular front and rear wheelarches, Essence at first appears to be in the classic sports car mould. But there is nothing retro about Essence.
The side window graphics bring a particularly innovative and distinctive edge to the styling. The window appears to be resting on a ledge, its razor sharp line in contrast to the concave sweep of the upper body just below it. Imagine juxtaposing flowing water with the stark outline of a canyon landscape.
The rear section also features complex surfacing with concave "scoops" that flow down the rear pillars from one of Essence's most distinctive design cues: a C-shaped kink to the side windows' trailing edge. Outlined by a wide flourish of stainless steel, it adds instant movement to the car even when it is standing still.
One of the most distinctive details is the trim around the side air vents. The simple yet delicate shape, finely finished in aluminium, is based on the "kanzashi", a hairpin used by women when wearing the kimono. Other lines and details are inspired by the wide brush strokes of Japanese calligraphy. Essence represents a successful merging of iconic cultural cues with automotive aesthetics.
Essence's front is characterised by Infiniti's signature double-arch grille, set at an angle that suggests the car is about to leap forward. There is an illuminated Infiniti badge at its heart. Rounded corners effectively hide the front overhang and make this 4.7m-long car appear anything but big in the flesh.
The grille is framed by subtle strips of stainless steel but there's little other trim and no other grilles or intakes, not even foglights. At the front as over the rest of the car, Essence eschews superfluous body embellishments that could interrupt the graceful strength of the whole. The door handles are slithers of push buttons flush with the body while even rear-view mirrors must make way for minuscule cameras teased out of the A-pillars.
More familiar Infiniti cues include the lights. At the front the signature L-shaped modules taper back on to the bulging guards, picked out at their top edge by a row of LEDs. Slender fillets of red light curve around the car at the back, overlapping with the boot opening and framing the vestigial spoiler. Edged by more stainless steel, the spoiler appears to have been pushed out from within the car.
The windscreen flows back into a full glass roof that then tapers down towards the boot opening – making just one more memorable view of a car that doesn't have a wrong angle to it.
On design, Essence is simple and amazingly complex, classical and totally dynamic all at the same time. Most of all as the epitome of "dynamic adeyaka" it boasts massive presence. Once seen, never forgotten.
