Infiniti Project Black S Prototype – F1 technology heading for production?

The Infiniti Project Black S Prototype is heading for a debut at the Paris Motor Show as Infiniti bring F1 tech to their future electrified cars.

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2017, Infiniti turned up with a Project Black S Concept, a concept which used F1 energy recuperation technology to deliver a performance boost. And it looked like just a concept.

But now the Infiniti Project Black S Prototype is heading for a debut at the Paris Motor Show next week, so we must assume, especially with its ‘Prototype’ tag, that it actually indicates a production model to come from Infiniti. Or at least production intent for the technology.

Based on the Infiniti Q60, the Project Black S gets the Q60’s 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet – which normally delivers 400bhp – and throws in a trio of MGUs (Motor Generator Units) to recover energy and boost performance.

There’s an MGU-K (‘K’ for kinetic) which harvests energy when braking, and a pair of MGU -H (‘H’ for heat) which are fitted to the turbos to harvest heat energy, with the energy garnered stored in lithium-ion batteries.

The outcome is power boosted from the usual 400bhp from the V6 to a much more impressive 563bhp, enough, say Infiniti, for a sub-4 second 0-62mph.

Infiniti has also fitted the car with a rear wing inspired by F1 which, they say, offers a compromise between straight line stability and and best traction when cornering.

Roland Krueger, Infiniti Chairman, said:

A collaborative venture between INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One Team, the Project Black S prototype is a test-bed for new ideas and technologies, demonstrating how our Alliance partnerships could make our ambitious visions a reality.

So it looks like Infiniti are heading down the MGU route for future car electrification, if not with an actual production version of the Project Black S.