Infiniti Q60 Project Black S – F1-inspired car cancelled - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Remember the hot Infiniti Q60 Project Black S that debuted all the way back in 2017? Well, looks like the F1-inspired track car will officially not make it to production for several reasons.

First of all, according to an Automotive News report, the Project Black S was spearheaded by former Infiniti boss Roland Krueger, who left the company in 2019 to be Dyson’s global automotive president and executive director. The project immediately lost traction following his departure, with no one else to push it to market.

Apparently, in August 2019, Infiniti executives were deliberating whether to put the car into production, but it’s clear what came out of that. Dealers weren’t the least affected by this, though. Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board chairman, Ed Lennon told the publication: “I would much rather see something like the QX60. That’s a volume vehicle, that’s where this company needs to go.”

Just to recap, the Q60 Project Black S employs a high-tech F1-inspired hybrid powertrain, with primary propulsion coming from the famed VR30 3.0 litre V6 twin-turbo engine. It’s augmented with three motor generator units that cleverly generate electrical power under braking and acceleration. Had this gone to production, it would be the first road car of its kind, ever.

On its own, the V6 engine produces 405 PS and 475 Nm of torque, but the dual-hybrid powertrain generates a total system output of 571 PS. Drive is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic (with three F1-style drive modes – Road, Quali and Race), propelling the 1,775-kg machine from standstill to 100 km/h in under four seconds.

There was a lot of potential with this one, but under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi’s new turnaround strategy, the Project Black S remains all but a pipedream. Not surprising, though. Right?