Infiniti Essence Hybrid Concept a Tribute to Luxury and Style

We admit it. Although elegantly engineered electric cars inspire us and high fuel efficiency vehicles of all types get our rapt attention, we’re also big fans of performance cars. You can’t be a true-blue car enthusiast without appreciating the auto as art – sometimes fine art in the case of coachwork of the kind offered by marques like Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini. And there’s nothing quite like the sound of an exotic sports car’s engine winding out at high rpms, especially if that engine’s heritage is Formula One.

But we’re also true believers that the evolution of the automobile must embrace environmental impact as part of the performance equation …even in the case of world’s best supercars and sport sedans. This is manifesting in the form of performance cars that are now being designed with lower emissions and higher fuel efficiency in mind. Gasoline-electric hybrid power is destined to be a part of this. Porsche has paved the way, and yes, even Ferrari has a hybrid in the works.

In the sport sedan realm, high-end performance sedans like the Fisker Karma epitomize just how committed a designer can be to this calling. As a range-extended electric, the Karma will reportedly achieve up to 100 mpg. In the world of performance this is truly an anomaly, though. That ethereal level of efficiency won’t be experienced by most high-end sports cars. What’s more consistent with the goals of performance car makers is maybe a doubling of typical fuel economy for the class, a notable achievement by any measure.

So it is with the stunning new Infiniti Essence concept. Offering a side profile hauntingly familiar to that of the aforementioned Karma but with many styling elements wildly different, this hybrid combines high horsepower with fuel economy estimated to be in the 30 mpg range. For reference, 30 mpg is the highway fuel economy achieved by the Nissan Sentra midsize sedan today.

The big difference: Besides a considerable upgrade in substance and style, at a whopping 592 combined horsepower the rear-wheel drive Infiniti Essence brings 452 more horsepower to the highway than the more sedate front-drive Sentra. The gasoline-electric hybrid Essence also offers another advantage – zero-emission electric motoring at lower speeds via its innovative 158 horsepower electric motor. The slim, disk-shaped ‘3D’ electric motor makes use of optimized electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets and is said to offer twice the torque of a conventional counterpart. It’s located between the engine and transmission and is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.

Inside, the bi-focused and contoured cockpit surrounds the driver with instrumentation and controls for a pilot-like experience. Here, a driver is presented with chronometer style dials, an engine start button, and a flat-bottom leather steering wheel with paddle shifters. To the right is a passenger seat ensconced in absolute comfort and calm. Even the color choices denote two separate, yet equal, experiences within as the driver’s side is themed in all-business black while the passenger’s side is an earthy red. Completing the car’s performance-cum-luxe theme is made-to-fit Louis Vuitton luggage that tucks perfectly into the trunk area.

Featuring a long hood and short deck with muscular wheel arches, concave scoops, and a diverse array of interesting touches throughout, the sinewy Essence is said to feature a design language that will influence future Infiniti production models. In addition, the concept is an exercise intended to preview Infiniti’s coming gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain that’s ‘capable of high speeds when conditions allow, and zero emissions where they don’t.’ All in all, we’d say that’s a pretty impressive hint of things to come.