Infiniti Essence Concept

Let's make this clear: the Infiniti Essence is a luxury supercar, a million miles away from the Vauxhall Ampera, for example. However, it's still a petrol-electric hybrid that shows us what greener Infinitis of the future will be powered by.

What's all the fuss about?

It has a 592bhp V6 engine powering the rear wheels yet, on occasion, it's capable of pushing its two occupants along in silent, emissions-free comfort. The styling, like so many concepts, showcases the future design direction for the Japanese luxury brand - which doesn't officially hit the UK until later this year. It's low slung, big wheeled and flashy, just like a good concept should be - and that it's also 'green' is a bonus.

What makes it so green?

The Essence's petrol-electric powertrain allows the car to run on only battery power at low speeds, which makes it CO₂-free at the tailpipe. But it can also run both the petrol engine and electric motor in tandem, with the latter providing a handy performance boost for the 3.7-litre engine (which itself has 434bhp).

When can I buy one?

It will probably never see a showroom in this form (neither the drivetrain nor the car, actually), but lower powered versions will make sure Infiniti matches Lexus like-for-like on the hybrid luxury car front; it'll probably appear in 4x4s, saloons and coupés wearing the Infiniti badge. The bespoke Louis Vuitton luggage set found in this concept will probably not, however.

Mark Nichol