Our jaws dropped when we heard the sexy Infiniti
Essence, a 592-horsepower luxury hybrid concept coupe unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, could dump the gas engine in favor of a diesel.
That's right: a diesel-electric hybrid, and an Infiniti to boot.
That's a noteworthy combination. Ever since the Q45's infamous debut in a series of car-free commercials featuring landscapes straight out of the Hudson River School, the stealth flagships of Nissan's Infiniti brand have gained a reputation for being neither seen nor heard — nor sold. Remember the first-gen M45? We don't, either. Now, Nissan claims their big, brash, rear-wheel drive coupe is the "essence of the Infiniti brand distilled into one car." That's like saying the essence of James Taylor is a screaming electric guitar solo.
While the Essence concept shown at Geneva is gas-electric hybrid that can be described as "powerful" in the same way Joaquin Phoenix can be called "mildly eccentric," a Nissan spokeswoman told Forbes a diesel V6 may at some point be mated to the compact 158 horsepower disk-shaped electric motor. Something tells us the "essence" of that engine won't involve soot and clatter, but it has us eager for the day a luxury car smells like egg rolls because it's running on used veggie oil.
No matter what's pumped into the tank, the Essence features a highly sophisticated hybrid-electric powertrain. Nissan used three-dimensional magnetic field analysis to find the optimal layout for magnets and coils in the electric motor. As a result, Nissan claims the motor is smaller, yet twice as powerful, as conventional units. Instead of a torque converter, the Infinti calls on gas and electric motors with two separate clutches, allowing for what is billed as a more responsive driving experience. The whole thing runs off Lithium-ion batteries mounted in the trunk, just beneath the custom-fitted Louis Vuitton luggage.
Complementing the drivetrain is the sheetmetal covering it. Infiniti says the Essence is based on a design philosophy called "Dynamic Adeyaka," which sure looks better than regular Adeyaka and, to our eye, anyway, bears a striking resemblance to the Fisker Karma super-lux hybrid. The car is smoother than a harbor seal caught in an oil slick, with nary a protrusion in sight. Cyclists will appreciate that the side view mirrors have been replaced with A-pillar-mounted cameras, though we doubt NHTSA will share their enthusiasm. Also, we know the Japanese love their raw meat, but we're not sure about Nissan's slightly undercooked description of the LED taillights as "slender fillets of red light."
As a "super-coupe" aimed at wealthy "trans-continental" travelers, the Essence won't come cheap. The Nissan spokeswoman said the cost of the diesel version would be even higher, as "customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment." We're just waiting for that technology to trickle down into a Versa.
Photos: Nissan.
See Also:
- Ford's ECONetic Fiesta Diesel Gets 65 MPG. You Can't Have One.
- Get a Chauffeured Aston Martin For Under a Quid
- A 42-MPG VW Diesel Roadster As Sexy As It Is Efficient
- Revealed: Volkswagen's 69.9-MPG Diesel Hybrid
