Infiniti Prototype 10 concept takes shape

Infiniti sales and awareness continue to fade in Australia, but that hasn’t stopped Nissan’s premium brand from pushing its global electric sports car agenda.

The latest instalment of this comes in the form of new sketches of the Prototype 10 retro racer concept Infiniti will reveal at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California next Friday (August 24 Australian time).

The wild single-seat track vehicle recreates “the classic speedster with a cool, clean, forward-looking design”, says Infiniti.

Although no technical details have been released, the low-slung roadster concept will most likely be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack and at least two electric motors capable of generating a monstrous amount of torque.

Ostensibly a design exercise that will preview a next-generation EV powertrain, the Prototype 10 “echoes the layout and design of some of the most evocative car designs of all time, where power was celebrated through high-powered single-seat competition cars,” said former BMW designer and now Infiniti’s point man for new vehicle visuals, Karim Habib.

“Our new concept speaks of an electrified future, something which is reflected in its form and details. It is appropriate that we found inspiration in an optimistic bygone era in which cars were characterised by the simple love of driving.”

Optimism is the key word here, because the car will probably never see the light of day as a production model.

As Infiniti continues to struggle to eke out an existence in Australia, where it sold just 350 vehicles to July this year (down more than 25 per cent on 2017 figures), its international fortunes aren’t looking too rosy either, with US sales down almost 10 per cent in the same period.

While Mercedes-Benz continues to sell more C-Class sedans and wagons than any other mid-size car in Australia except the Toyota Camry (more than 3500 so far this year, plus 1500 CLAs), Infiniti’s Q50 sedan found just 85 buyers.

The Q60 coupe, larger Q70 sedan and the QX70 and QX80 SUVs are even slower sellers, while the Q30 and QX30 are the brand’s top-sellers with 125 combined sales and upgraded versions coming in October.

However, there are reports both Mercedes-Benz A-Class based small cars will be discontinued when Nissan’s joint-venture deal with Daimler expires.

Rather than single-seat retro-concept flights of fantasy, what Infiniti needs most is a mid-size SUV like the all-new QX50, which now won’t arrive in Australia until mid-2019.