TOKYO — Infiniti plans to roll out a sporty hybrid concept car before the Paris auto show.
The Project Black S prototype builds off a Q60 coupe with what Infiniti calls a Formula One dual-hybrid electrified powertrain. The system boosts output to 563 hp from the 400 hp generated by the car's conventional 3.0-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine.
That's good enough to go from 0 to 62 mph in less than four seconds, Infiniti says.
Infiniti is not exhibiting at the Paris show, but plans to unveil the Project Black S concept off-site Monday, Oct. 1, before the show's press days Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 2 and 3.
Nissan Motor Co.'s luxury brand teased the car in a news release last week, saying the dual-hybrid system differs from traditional hybrids in the way it recoups lost energy.
Most hybrids use regenerative braking to recharge their batteries.
The Project Black S does that, and harvests the heat energy of exhaust gases from the engine's twin turbochargers. As a result, the Project Black S has three motor generator units, compared with the standard hybrid's one. The technology is an outgrowth of a collaboration between Infiniti and the Renault Sport Formula One racing team, Infiniti said.
"The Project Black S prototype features a world's first dual-hybrid powertrain technology and represents the latest development initiative by Infiniti to electrify its cars," Infiniti said. "This enables the powertrain to generate electrical power under both braking and acceleration."
Infiniti's experimentation with the setup comes as the brand prepares to electrify its lineup starting in 2021. Infiniti doesn't offer a hybrid version of the Q60, but it does manufacture gasoline-electric variants of the Q50 and Q70 sedans and QX60 crossover.