Rate It: Infiniti’s All-Electric, Open-Wheel-Race-Car Design Study

Infiniti isn't really known for its open-wheel race cars. Despite that, the Japanese luxury brand made one anyway. Called Prototype 9, the design study was styled to look like a vintage Grand Prix racer.

If you're hoping this old-school-looking machine makes cool prewar engine noises, you might be disappointed. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery "from Nissan Motor Corporation's Advanced Powertrain Department" said to be good for approximately 148 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. It can accelerate the 1962-pound car to 60 mph in under 6 seconds, according to Infiniti.

The prototype doesn't just have old-school looks; it was actually built the old-school way. The body was completely handmade, and the chassis underneath was made with a steel ladder frame. The suspension is based on leaf springs, the steering is non-power-assisted, and the brakes do without a booster (though disc brakes are used on all four corners).

Perhaps the best summary of this design study comes from Alfonso Albaisa, Infinit's senior vice president of global design:

"Prototype 9 celebrates the tradition of ingenuity, craftsmanship and passion of our forebears at Nissan Motor Corporation, on whose shoulders we stand today. It started as a discussion: What if INFINITI had created a race car in the 1940s? If one were to imagine an open-wheeled INFINITI racer on the famous circuits of the era, such as Japan's Tamagawa Speedway, what would that look like? The sketches were stunning and the idea so compelling that we had to produce a prototype. As other departments became aware of this, they volunteered their time to create a working vehicle."

Before we throw the spec sheet at you, let us know what you think about this unusual design study. Is this an exercise in breathtaking design, or is this just a backward prototype that will soon be forgotten?

Technical Specifications

Body and chassis
Layout	Single-seater race car w/steel ladder frame and handmade steel body panels
Powertrain
Layout	Battery w/electric motor
Battery type	Lithium ion
Max power (motor)	120 kW (148 hp)
Max torque	320 Nm (236 lb.-ft.)
Transmission	Single-speed
Drivetrain	Rear-wheel drive
Suspension and steering
Front	Leading-arm rigid axle w/transverse leaf spring
Rear	De Dion axle w/transverse leaf spring
Steering	Non-power-assisted
Dampers	Hydraulic rotary type
Wheels, tires and brakes
Wheels	Front	Center-locking wire spokes, 19 in.
	Rear	Center-locking wire spokes, 19 in.
Tires	Front	450-19
	Rear	650-19
Brakes	Front	252mm ventilated discs w/out booster
	Rear	252mm solid discs w/out booster
Dimensions, mm (in.)
Length	4,330 (170.5)
Width	1,820 (71.7)
Height	910 (35.8)
Ground clearance	65 (2.5)
Wheelbase	2700 (106.3)
Track	Front	1,550  (61.0)
	Rear	1,570 (61.8)
Weight, kg (lbs.)
Vehicle weight	890 (1,962)
Weight distribution, fr/rr	43 / 57
Performance
Top speed, kph (mph)	170 (105.6)
Acceleration, 0-100 kph	5.5 sec.

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