Infiniti Q60 Project Black Is Dead, Joins Q50 Eau Rouge in Car Valhalla

Rumors of a production version of the Project Black S have been flying around ever since the concept car debuted in 2018. Infiniti built a couple of prototypes, tested them on the race track, and its creator, Ronald Krueger, was reportedly pushing it for production. So what happened?

Krueger left Infiniti to join Dyson in 2020. With the person spearheading the project no longer there to handle development, Infiniti seemingly opted to move it into the trash bin. The fact that Infiniti left Formula One in late 2020 may also have something to do with this decision.

The story reported by Automotive News is very similar to that of the Q50 Eau Rouge. Envisioned and developed into a prototype by Johan de Nysschen, the Eau Rouge project was canned when its creator left Infiniti to join Cadillac.

That’s a sad fate for two of Infiniti’s coolest projects to date. The Q60 Project Black S was supposed to bring F1 technology to the road. A beefed-up, mean-looking Q60 on the outside, Project Black paired a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V6 engine to three motor-generator units for energy recovery and a 4.4kWh battery for storage.

The combo delivers 563 horsepower, and Infiniti estimated that the concept car needed less than four seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph). That’s 163 horsepower more than the range-topping Q60 Red Sport 400, which is also almost a full second slower to 62 mph.

The Q50 Eau Rouge, first showcased in 2014, didn’t feature F1 tech, but was inspired by the company’s then-new involvement into the sport. Developed in partnership with Red Bull Racing, it featured carbon-fiber bodywork and the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V6 engine from the Nissan GT-R. Rated at 560 horsepower, it was the most powerful Infiniti creation at the time.

Sadly, none of these prototypes had a future, but here’s hoping that a 500+ horsepower Infiniti happens soon.