The Japanese luxury brand Infiniti is behind one of the most charming electric vehicles we have ever seen!
A tribute to the 1930s racing cars
The Infinity Prototype 9 provides plenty of associations with 1930s racing cars such as the detachable wire wheels, the rocket-shaped design, the large grill and the minimalistic windshield. It reminds us of a time in motorsport when safety equipment was limited to a bottle of whiskey, which could ease the pain until the medic crew arrived. A time, when the German mastodonts like Auto Union and Daimler fought a crazy battle to break the highest speed-record on the public German autobahn – and when the most powerful vehicles had aircraft engines. Back then, the fearless riders were seen as national heroes.
“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.”
Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President, Global Design
There are plenty of references to the early era of racing cars, which were also built on old-fashioned manners with bare hands, hammers and steel plates. However, Infiniti, which is Nissan’s counterpart to Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, has gone in a little different direction when it comes to the powertrain.
Infinity Prototype 9 powertrain
The retro-inspired concept car is equipped with an electric motor closely related to the one that powers the 2018 Nissan Leaf producing 150 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. This may not sound like much, but with a weight of just 890 kilos / 1,962 ibs, it’s enough for a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds. Infiniti claims, the battery pack allows for about 20 minutes of hard track driving. Unfortunately, the otherwise charming electric car still remains a dream.
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Infinity Prototype 9 technical specifications
| Body and chassis | ||
| Layout | Single-seater race car with steel ladder frame and handmade steel body panels | |
| Powertrain | ||
| Layout | Lithium-ion battery with electric motor | |
| Battery type | Lithium-ion | |
| Max power (motor) | 120 kW (148 hp) | |
| Max torque | 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) | |
| Transmission | Single-speed | |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive | |
| Suspension and steering | ||
| Front | Leading-arm rigid axle with transverse leaf spring | |
| Rear | De Dion axle with transverse leaf spring | |
| Steering | Non-power assisted | |
| Dampers | Hydraulic rotary type | |
| Wheels, tires and brakes | ||
| Wheels | Front | Center-locking wire spokes, 19-inch |
| Rear | Center-locking wire spokes, 19-inch | |
| Tires | Front | 450-19 |
| Rear | 650-19 | |
| Brakes | Front | 252 mm ventilated discs without booster |
| Rear | 252 mm solid discs without booster | |
| Dimensions, mm (inches) | ||
| Length | 4,330 (170.5) | |
| Width | 1,820 (71.7) | |
| Height | 910 (35.8) | |
| Ground clearance | 65 (2.5) | |
| Wheelbase | 2700 (106.3) | |
| Track | Front | 1,550 (61.0) |
| Rear | 1,570 (61.8) | |
| Weight, kg (lbs) | ||
| Vehicle weight | 890 (1,962) | |
| Weight distribution, fr/rr | 43 / 57 | |
| Performance | ||
| Top speed, kph (mph) | 170 (105.6) | |
| Acceleration, 0-100 kph | 5.5 secs | |
Source: Infinity
