Infiniti introduced the second-generation Q60 Coupe at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show looking nearly identical to the concept that previewed it the year before. It comes to the market for 2017 with bold and aggressive styling, better efficiency over the outgoing model, and a revised suspension system, among other things. Its revised drivetrain includes two different engines with output ranging from 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque all the way up to 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Unfortunately, the Q60 lost the available option of a manual transmission, leaving just a seven-speed automatic to mate with all engine options.

Now, the Geneva Auto Show is kicking off, and Infiniti as decided to participate in a design study of sorts that takes the Q60 Coupe and adds on a more aggressive body kit and a new high-performance, hybrid drivetrain inspired by Formula One. Dubbed the Project Black S, little is known about it, but Infiniti wants to use it as a basis to gauge customer interest in future high-performance Infiniti cars.

Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti, said, "Infiniti is the premium car manufacturer within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and a technical partner to the Renault Sport Formula One Team, so it is natural that we come together to explore the possibility of bringing innovative, high-performance hybrid technology to our customers. Infiniti has constantly led the way in making innovative new powertrain technology available, and we’re extremely excited by the potential of Project Black S."

The Project S is set to be revealed at a special event the night before the doors open at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show, so let’s take a close look at it before that happens.

Continue reading to learn more about the Infiniti Project Black S.

2016 Infiniti Project Black S

Specifications
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  • Model: 2016 Infiniti Project Black S
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

Let’s not beat around the bush here. The Infiniti Q60 is like the girl next door of the car world. She’s sexy, teases you from a distance with her sweet curves, and has an attitude to back up her good looks. In this case, however, the Q60 has a hotter sister, and the Project Black S is it. Up front, the standard fascia is replaced by something much more menacing with large vents in the corners and a large air dam that gives the front grille the appearance that it’s floating.

A small lip extends from the bottom of the fascia and wraps around the corners before folding over and outlining the outer and upper edge of each corner vent. The grille itself gets a large, chrome surround. The headlights remain the same, as do the defining lines of the hood, but to the inside, two large dimples give the hood even more attitude compared to the current production model.

Moving over to the sides, there isn’t a whole lot to talk about, but the big deal here is the body kit, and the Project Black S gets a new pair of side skirts that add even more aggression to the side profile. There’s an extra bump up front, while the side skirt extends outward and upward at the rear wheel arch to create a little winglet of sorts.

Add that in with the excessively sharp body line below the waist, the curved line at the bottom of the door, and the muscular rear haunches, and you have quite the attractive package going on. On a side not, the mirror housings have been painted black, and the chrome trim around the side glass has been accented by a black strip as well. Finally, the roof takes on a black look that matches the finish of the multi-spoke wheels the Project Black S rides on.

This girl next door is the full package too, as you’ll see she has quite the nice booty. A new spoiler perched on the rear deck lid swoops upward in the middle and features a yellow accent to help offset things a bit. That’s cool and all, but the real magic happens down below where the rear fascia has been replaced by a much more aggressive unit with lots of character on the corners, a built-in diffuser, and centrally located exhaust outlets that are larger than the units found on the road-going queen. Little winglets on the sides help to link the front end, side skirts, and rear together.

All told, it’s a very nice package and not something I thought we would ever see come from Infiniti. It’s more of a package that you would expect from some aftermarket tuner, but this is something that Infiniti should definitely offer in the future.

Interior

Note: Infiniti Q60 Coupe interior pictured here.

Infiniti has yet to mention anything about the interior, and we don’t have pictures to go by either. So, there could be absolutely nothing changed inside, which may not necessarily be a bad thing, but given the fact that the car is hybrid in nature, I suspect we’ll see upgraded electronics that includes a digital instrument cluster and an updated infotainment display.

Given the fact that the car is supposed to fall into the high-performance category, racing seats aren’t out of the question, and there will likely be black accents here and there to help match the exterior package. Aside from those little things, expect the cabin to be mainly stock. But, we’ll learn more about that, hopefully, when the car makes its debut at the Geneva Auto Show, so stay tuned for updates.

Drivetrain

While other manufacturers have been busy spilling beans and telling us what is to come, Infiniti has decided to keep quiet prior to the car’s debut. So, it should come as no surprise that we have very little to go on as far as performance figures or even what motivates this beast. We do know that it’s hybrid in nature and has an energy recovery system that harvests energy and redistributes it to boost power and torque output. Supposedly, this is a system inspired by the dual-hybrid system used in Formula One and provides “instant, significant, and lag-free acceleration.

Considering this is supposed to be a high-performance vehicle, I suspect that Infiniti has managed to pair its 3.0-liter V-6 with an electric motor and small battery pack. This could be an add-on to the optional all-wheel drive system, or a completely new setup, but the question is whether or not Infiniti has used the 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet V-6 or the 400 horsepower and 350 pound-foot V-6.

If it uses the former, output could be slotted somewhere around 450 horsepower and 340 pound-feet when running full hybrid, while the latter could boost power up to the 500 horsepower and 450 pound-foot mark. Now, that would be something to see, right? Either way, it would be a big improvement over the current road-going model, and given the looks of the Project Black S, I’m hoping we’ll see power output approach the 500-pony mark.

Conclusion

At this point, all I can say is that I can’t wait to see this thing in the metal and hear about its full specifications. It could be one powerful, sexy looking ride that pushes Infiniti into the next step of evolution in the high-performance world. Not that the range-topping Q60 Coupe isn’t a beautiful, powerful ride, but this thing pushes it to the next level. Should the public show a lot of interest and a model like this does go into production in the near future, Infiniti could find itself struggling to keep up with customer demands.

Once we get a taste of something like this, we want more, and the brand will surely be pushed to develop other high-performance versions of models in its lineup as well. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but if the Project Black S does stumble into a factory and find itself on a production line, you better hope you’re one of the first on the order list, or you might be waiting a while to take delivery.