Infiniti Prototype 9
The vehicle body is made of steel plates that cover a stepped steel frame. The Takumi team (Nissan Motor Corporation’s master craftsmen at the Nissan Research Center in Oppama, outside Yokohama, Japan) beat the sheet metal panels into shape. Distinctive Infiniti design elements were also incorporated into the Prototype 9, such as the double-arch grille, front wheel air vents, single-fold hood, and stylized lines running the length of the vehicle.
In everything else, the car is unmistakably inspired by retro aeronautical designs. The Prototype 9 is defined by its slick, streamlined surfaces, long hood and short wings, open cockpit, and open-wheel configuration. The 19-inch spoked wheels are encased in vintage cross-hatched racing tires. The cabin, whose design and craftsmanship are as characteristic of Japan as that of the bodywork, is in keeping with Infiniti’s current approach to interior design. This one has painstaking attention to detail and finish, the cockpit is covered in black leather with contrasting red stitching, the finish of which is reminiscent of the racing single-seaters of bygone days. Subtle Japanese flags have been added to the headrest that is integrated into the low bucket seat. In a cabin that does not include any element that distracts attention from the road, the steering wheel rotates around a fixed central box, which houses all the driving indicators and includes a reduced set of switches. The frame itself is finished in turned aluminum, an effect often found in the field of aviation during the first half of the 20th century.
The Prototype 9 is the first Infiniti to be powered by an electric powertrain with a 30 kWh high-voltage battery coupled with a prototype electric motor that has not been incorporated into production vehicles. The engine develops 120 kW (148 PS) and 320 Nm of peak torque that drives the rear axle through a single-speed transmission. Despite its aerodynamics, the Infiniti Prototype 9 achieves a top speed of 170 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, with a maximum electric range of 20 minutes of intensive circuit use.
