Prototypes are the cars that entice the senses, and this is most certainly the case for Infiniti’s Prototype 9. Where most prototype cars offer a futuristic view of how things could be, Infiniti also travels in the past, by creating a car that seems to come from the 1930’s, roughly half a century before the first Infiniti actually took to the road.
This makes the Prototype 9 everything in one: imaginary past, display of current expertise and vision for the future. Crafted from hand-beaten aluminum and fitted with 19-inch wire wheels, it not only would have fitted in very well with the Mercedes, Auto Union and Maserati racers of the 1930’s and 1940’s, yet then with some modern Infiniti styling cues. Made by hand, it also shows the expertise that Infiniti has available, especially since it is executed with that typical Japanese eye for perfection.
But the Prototype 9 is also aiming at the future, as it is not powered with one of Infiniti’s gas engines, but rather with an electric powertrain that will be available in the next-generation of the Nissan Leaf. That doesn’t sound very exciting, and with an expected 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, it feels that we are in terms of performance back to 1980’s sports car standards. Yes, a Tesla, almost any Tesla, is faster, but it is the way that this Infiniti puts that speed down to the pavement, and how it provides you with a very pure driving experience that indeed brings back the times of yesteryear in all its glory, minus the exciting roar of the engine of course. With heavy track use, you will get about 20 minutes of pure, adrenaline kicking excitement out of the Prototype 9. With this car, Infiniti has not only created something special, something enticing, but also a concept that might become a reality, simply because it is so much haute fun to drive!
