Infiniti’s latest Project Black S prototype breaks cover

The latest version of Infiniti’s Project Black S prototype has been revealed ahead of its official debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show next week. 

Based on the Q60 Red Sport 400 coupe, the prototype you see above is a follow-up to the concept car first shown in 2017 at the Geneva Motor Show that now sports what Infiniti calls a “dual-hybrid” drivetrain that produces 420kW.

Still utilising the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 as the base car that produces 298kW, it’s paired to three electric motor generators to help it produce the additional 122kW.

The technology, which has been developed in conjunction with the Renault Sport F1 team and tuned “specifically for road use”, makes it possible for the car to generate electric power during acceleration and deceleration.

While one of the generators, called MGU-K, is used to generate power from regenerative braking, the particularly novel second type of generator, known as MGU-H, generates energy from the heat of the exhaust gasses that spin up the turbos, with a generator tied to each turbo bringing the total generator count to three.

Aside from the energy recovery system, the design of the carbon fibre rear spoiler has also been tweaked to give it the same profile as the wing on the Renault F1 team’s Monza car, although – with the exception of some extra yellow pinstriping – the visual tweaks seem to end there.

With only these details and just one new press photo released so far, expect more to emerge when the car is revealed in the flesh next week.