A perfect example of a company taking a classic automobile design and merging it with cutting edge technology is the Infiniti Prototype 9 Concept Racer ($NA). With a body based on a 1940’s single-seated racing car, the one-of-a-kind vehicle was also constructed of old-fashioned material. Rather than carbon fiber, this sleek machine has hand-beaten steel body panels over a steel ladder frame. It was given a rigid axle and transverse leaf springs.
However old-school it looks on the outside, the Prototype 9 gets its power from a 120kW prototype electric motor with a 30kWh lithium-ion battery. This is run through a single-speed transmission. The Nissan Infiniti Prototype 9 gets decent specs even with all the heavy metal in the body. Reaching 0-60 in a short 5.5 seconds, it tops out at around 106 mph and Nissan says it will last about 20 minutes per charge although what that translates out to in miles is not stated. While there is little chance the vehicle will be put into general production, it is nice to know that such technology is available now.
