Infiniti scraps Formula 1-inspired high-performance hybrid coupe

Infiniti has scrapped plans to bring to market a Formula One-inspired high-performance hybrid coupe.

Project Black S, which debuted as a running prototype on the eve of the 2018 Paris auto show, showcased technologies the Japanese luxury automaker developed in collaboration with the Renault Sport Formula One racing team.

Based on the Q60 coupe, the concept was powered by a dual-hybrid electrified powertrain that boosted Infiniti's 400-hp VR30 twin-turbo V-6 engine into an estimated 563-hp electrified power source.

The carbon-fiber concept featured a novel way of recouping lost energy during braking. In addition to using regenerative braking to recharge the batteries, the Black S harvested heat energy from the exhaust gases in the engine's twin turbochargers. This allowed the powertrain to generate electrical power under both braking and acceleration.

Infiniti has shelved plans for the Black S for now, "but the concept continues to inspire us," spokesman Kyle Bazemore said.

Infiniti announced in December it was ending its association with Formula One.

But dealer ambivalence and shifting corporate priorities kept the coupe from making it to showrooms.

Project Black S was intended to be a halo performance car, said Ed Lennon, Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board chairman.

"In today's market, a premium Japanese performance coupe has to be very low volume," Lennon said. "Anything that Infiniti produces for its dealers, we want it to be a volume product."

The high-performance coupe wasn't the right fit for the Infiniti brand, said Lennon, president of Circle Infiniti in West Long Branch, N.J. With a top speed of 153 mph, the Black S could sprint from 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds.

"We're not really in the racing business," Lennon said. "I would much rather see something like the QX60 [crossover]. That's a volume vehicle, that's where this company needs to go."

Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions, said Infiniti is evolving primarily into a utility brand and demand for a special edition of the Q60 is quickly fading.

"Dealers need more crossovers because passenger cars, and sporty coupes especially, aren't drawing buyers into dealerships like they once did," Fiorani said

Management turnover at Infiniti also hurt the commercial prospects of the project.

The Black S was championed by former Infiniti President Roland Krueger.

"This is part of showcasing what electrification can do for the product and for the brand," Krueger said in 2018.

Project Black S had momentum under Krueger — going from sketch to running prototype in just 12 months.

"We're committed to it," he said in October 2018. "When I say we will do something, we'll do it."

Three months later, Krueger left the company. Infiniti is on its third chief since then.