Infiniti Prototype 10 Concept Imagines an Exciting Electrified Future
Last year at Pebble Beach, Infiniti unveiled an unusual concept, the Prototype 9, a 1930s-style single-seat racer that imagined what an Infiniti racing heritage from the classic era would look like. This year's follow-up is the Prototype 10, which again uses the vintage idea of a monoposto racer but this time turns it into a future-facing machine.
Infiniti has stated that all new models introduced in 2021 or later will have electrified powertrains. The automaker identifies a variety of scenarios: EVs, e-POWER extended-range hybrids, and “high-performance parallel hybrids” as well as e-AWD. That coming electrification provides an opportunity for new designs.
“Our electric-vehicle architecture represents a turning point for our design teams,” said Infiniti president Roland Krueger in a statement accompanying the Prototype 10's release. “Electrification provides new opportunities for the design and layout of our cars,” echoed Infiniti design director Karim Habib. The Prototype 10 is an exploration of how the design of the brand's cars might change in the electrified era.
Of course, this model is purely a concept, but the company tells us the Prototype 10 represents “a physical manifestation of the brand’s vision for electrification” and that it previews the design direction of future Infiniti production cars.
The roofless single-seater has a prominent fairing behind the driver's seat with INFINITI spelled out on the side. At the front, slit-like headlights and an inset Infiniti badge are the lone adornments. Aerodynamics considerations include a black chin spoiler and a flat underbody. Large air intakes on the body sides are supposed to cool the rear-mounted electric motor and the battery pack. Another large, triangular-shaped air inlet is where the passenger seat would be.
The minimalist, single-seat cockpit includes little more than brake and accelerator pedals and a steering wheel. With steer-by-wire technology, the steering wheel is not attached to a column but instead to struts made of carbon fiber. In the absence of a windshield, those struts are shaped to direct air around the driver's head. The single seat is upholstered in black leather with red stitching, which is also used in the steering-wheel hub. A low seating position leaves only the driver's head above the surrounding bodywork.
We love that Infiniti used the format of a roofless, monoposto speedster-rather than a more typical concept-car shape-to preview its future design direction. Although we recognize that the Prototype 10 isn't a literal preview of a future electric Infiniti, we certainly wouldn't mind if it were.
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