Skip to main content

Infiniti Prototype 9 Shares Modern Classic Racer in Pebble Beach

Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.



How many of us have envisioned ourselves in a different time or place. To see or relive a moment in history in a manner you would not think possible or perhaps to be present with those we admire or love is to many the ultimate form of exploration. While time travelling is yet to be realized, many of us find ways to capture the essence of the past. This can be quite a difficult feat for those birth came after a time period.

Automotive design has been no stranger to recompile their past for a future creation. At the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one corporate attendee chose to show up in a mid-20th century costume. A youngish brand born in 1989, Infiniti introduced a 1940s-1950s inspired concept car melding the past, present and future.

Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.



Classical in appearance, the Infiniti Prototype 9 is a vehicle that adapts its own image to a historical era of motor racing. The Prototype 9's open-wheeled roadster design embodies the sleek shape, long hood and stance that may have roamed grand prix circuits such as Monaco or the Nurburgring.

An after-hours project featuring the investment of time of many Nissan/Infiniti engineers and designers in Japan, the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show car’s form came courtesy of handmade craftsmanship. "The creation of the real world INFINITI Prototype 9 was entirely and coincidentally organic. As we started work on a physical model, word spread beyond the core design team, and other departments started checking in and offering assistance. Eventually, the production team became aware of the project – and brought with them the desire and skills to build it." said Senior Vice President of Global Design Alfonso Albaisa. Aerodynamically-tailored steel body panels set on a steel ladder frame chassis is constructed using traditional, low-volume manufacturing techniques such as deep-stamping production. The Infiniti Prototype 9's exterior features also include a double-arch grille and period-derived cross-ply race tires mounted to 19-inch wire-spoke wheels.  


Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.



Conforming to vintage race car dynamics, the Prototype 9 utilizes a single-seat cabin. Lined in black leather, highly detailed touches include accents in contrasting red stitching. Infiniti Prototype 9's bucket seat incorporates extra touches in the form of Japanese flags. A minimalist cabin control layout is joined by a steering wheel that rotates on a fixed hub.

Applying to a classic design theme, Infiniti’s concept car actually harbours a high-tech fully-electric drivetrain. Powered by a single electric motor generating 148 horsepower, rear-wheel drive propulsion applies a considerable punch thanks to the Prototype 9's low 890 kilogram (1,962-pound) weight. Capable of a top speed of 170 km/h (105.6 miles per hour), the Infiniti Prototype 9 acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is recorded at 5.5 seconds. The vehicle operates on a 30-kWh  lithium-ion battery providing enough energy for 20 minutes of heavy race track use.


Photo Credit: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.



The name of the Infiniti Prototype 9 is a creative play between Japanese and English language themes. In Japan, the number 9's pronunciation is similar to the way “Q” sounds in English. The Q branding is of course paramount to Infiniti’s current model range.

There’s little chance the Infiniti Prototype 9 will ever be produced but the vehicle mostly impresses us with the ingenuity of the luxury auto brand.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Review

Photo Credit: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. untitled A companion to the NTT IndyCar Series finale weekend on the streets of Long Beach, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship staged a 26-car race on Saturday consisting of DPi, GTLM and GTD class machines. With the conclusion of the 1-hour, 40-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach sports car event, the overall winner was the #31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac shared by the driving duo of Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani. The victory was a decisive weekend for the Whelen Engineering Racing team that had scored the pole position and went on to take the checkered flag with a 10.95-second gap over the #01 Cadillac fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande. Corvette Racing enjoyed a dominant outing in the GTLM category. Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner in the #4 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R beat the #3 car shared by Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor. Only three GTLM class vehicles ran at Long Be

Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton Quickest In Qatar Qualifying

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. Saturday’s qualifying for the inaugural Formula 1 race in the Arab nation of Qatar has assembled what is certain to be a dramatic opening lap showdown between this season’s title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. In setting the grid for Sunday’s 57-lap main event on the fast, high grip 5.380-kilometer Losail International Circuit, it was the driver of the #44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team race car that took honours. Lewis Hamilton’s pole-winning lap time of 1-minute, 20.827 seconds in the final Q3 session putting a cap on a time trial where the seven-time World Drivers’ Champion handily controlled through the three sessions. Joining Hamilton on the front row of the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix will be Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing machine. The Honda-powered entrant was 0.455 seconds slower than the rival Mercedes race car. With the race at Losail being the third-to-last event on the 2021 Form

Is More Imagination Needed Towards Indy 500 Pace Car Selection?

Photo Credit: General Motor/Chevrolet This weekend, the Indianapolis 500 will be run for its 100th time. A primary focus around a 500-mile auto race around a historic 2.5-mile race track has resulted in a far amount of traditions. Some of these traditions such as the Fast 9 qualifying shootout and the honorary starter are newer aspects while one of the oldest is the ceremonial pace setter used to lead the field to the green flag. A staple of the Indy 500 since the first race in 1911, the pace car history ranges from a Stoddard-Dayton roadster to a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 used in last year’s event. This year’s Indianapolis 500 will feature an all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS trimmed in a special preview of the 50th Anniversary Package. The beautiful Abalone White sixth generation Camaro convertible features a 455-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 engine perfect for maintaining pace lap speed ahead of a 33-car contingent of machines set to run at speed of 230 miles per hour. A tradi