Infiniti will not produce show car, but its Essence will live on
Infiniti Essence Concept - Click above for a high-res gallery
Some concept cars are design studies, while others closely preview production models. But as much as we may have hoped, the gorgeous Essence concept unveiled by Infiniti earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show will remain firmly in the former, as company spokesmen have reportedly verified that the show-stopping show car will not be entering production.
Alright, so that may be no big surprise, but we're allowed to dream, aren't we? That doesn't mean elements previewed by the Essence won't be trickling down to production models. We certainly hope some of the breathtaking design will find its way into production sheetmetal, and reports suggest that the quirky kink in the C pillar could appear on future products from the premium Nissan division. The long-awaited successor to the flagship Q45, if produced, is tipped to borrow heavily from the Essence's design, while its concept drivetrain is expected to lead the way for a hybrid M as well. So while the show car itself will remain a glimmering memory, its bits and pieces will, in essence, resurface in future Infiniti products.
Gallery: Infiniti Essence Concept
[Source: AutoWeek.nl]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
dinkar.varma 1:10PM (3/31/2009)
This is what the Infinite version of the GTR should look like!
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416Hammy 1:25PM (3/31/2009)
You mean "Infiniti."
The "Infinite" GT-R would look like this: GT-RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...
seanleeforever 3:52PM (3/31/2009)
You know why iphone/ipod sells? Because apple has balls to make prototype into reality, no matter how pricy the products are, people buy because they look good. Infiniti should learn some thing from apple. Build this god damn thing already (besides, it would be a sin to not build it). Look at Bugatti, they had no problem selling Veyron at 1 million dollars a piece, and the bugatti automobiles was subsidiary by VW in year 2000 (a company has no history, really.). This Infiniti essence looks way better and much more innovative than Veyron, and I would choose Infiniti essence over Veyron anyday of the week.
iamhoff 4:45PM (3/31/2009)
Yeah, I always thought that Godzilla would make a good Infiniti Q. The Essence is a good start...
chineyz954 1:10PM (3/31/2009)
Good!
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Toy Yoda 1:34PM (3/31/2009)
Good? I take it you don't like how the car looks? Anyways, I think it's a beautiful looking car. Too bad it won't make it to production.
Sam 1:20PM (3/31/2009)
Gorgeous.
And the interior is as incredible as anything Audi has put out, the DBS and the Reventon.
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Sofa King Fast! 1:33PM (3/31/2009)
I liked this design but am glad the long rumored Infinity GTR is not going to happen...which is basically what this car was.
I never liked the idea of the Cadillac XLR (badge engineered corvette) or the Audi R8 (badge engineered Lambo) and it seemed to me that doing the same thing to a GTR was somehow just as wrong.
To me, when it comes to badge engineering, supercars should be off limits.
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Toy Yoda 1:38PM (3/31/2009)
@Sofa King Fast!
How is this car basically like the GTR? First off, the car doesn't look anything like the GTR. And secondly, this car has more hp, and a 160hp electric motor. It's a hybrid; the GTR is not.
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Toy Yoda 1:43PM (3/31/2009)
Well, I hope enough people complain, and maybe they will change their mind and build this beautiful car.
I think Infiniti won't ever build this car because the car looks way upscale, in my opinion of course. Infiniti can be thought of as the value alternative to the German luxury brands. This car says, Infiniti competes with Aston Martin. So it probably won't fit in with their lineup. Too bad.
Maybe another car mfg can buy the design and tweak it a bit to fit their brand image. sigh.
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Boss 1:49PM (3/31/2009)
It would of been nice to see it make into production, oh well.Lets hope Infiniti will bust out some more stuff!
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Kimura 1:54PM (3/31/2009)
This would have been a spectacular flagship for the brand. It's one of the most beautiful modern cars I've seen. Too bad Infiniti.
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Richard 2:01PM (3/31/2009)
MISTAKE!
Not as the Infiniti version of Godzilla, but as a softer, high-end GT (Grand Touring) Coupe' slotted against Aston it would be a true halo car! And highly desirable.
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the_MVP_X 2:02PM (3/31/2009)
Booooo, u morons, WTF, that car it's great.
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Galley 2:02PM (3/31/2009)
That is very possibly, the most beautiful car I have ever seen!
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Jsams4131 2:42PM (3/31/2009)
IMO best car concept since the new millenium.
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Aki 3:08PM (3/31/2009)
By far one of Infiniti's most beautiful concept cars, and they won't build it? Sigh, fail.
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Vernon 4:16PM (3/31/2009)
Another case of designers getting absolutely trounced by the bean-counters. Although in this economy who can really be too mad at Nissan/Infiniti for not building it. There's no way they could profit off of this unfortunately. Still, it would have been cool if they made like 100 limited-edition models just for the hell of it. Create an air of romance and an aura around the brand that would have went nicely with the GTR. But this is more a time for survival than mystique. :-(
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Nateb123 5:25PM (3/31/2009)
I don't think a Japanese car manufacturer has ever created a design this good looking. As I'm partial to Japanese design I think this may be my favourite car design ever. I don't make that claim lightly. So the question is simple: if you have a chance to make a hybrid Infiniti the car every 10 year old boy has a poster on his wall of, why not make it? A halo car like that would make everything from Sentras to G35s sell better. This is like folding a royal flush and Infiniti better be kicking itself for this decades from now...if their even around that long
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akatsuki 6:01PM (3/31/2009)
I could care less about a repackaged GTR with some pseudo-lux trappings.
They should focus on getting their other models to actually sell besides just the G.
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