Infiniti offers the first image of the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept - and asks fans to help reveal more.
Infiniti has released the first image of its “race-inspired” Q50 Eau Rouge concept a little more than a week before the prototype will make its debut at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
The Eau Rouge, Infiniti explains “draws inspiration” from the Formula One program that pairs the Japanese luxury maker and its four-time World Champion-winning partner, Infiniti Red Bull Racing.
“From our shared passion for performance with Infiniti Red Bull Racing grew a collective desire to produce a vision of what a high-performance Infiniti Q50 could look like,” explains Infiniti’s Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, who suggests that, “The design has a number of distinctive Formula One-inspired touches.”
Notable among them are the sculpted front wing assembly, as well as the rear aerodynamic packing strongly influenced by the RB9 race car.
The foundation of the show car is the 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan that replaced the old Infiniti G four-door last year. In general, the Eau Rouge’s body has been tweaked to improve aero, with major components redone in carbon fiber. The final result is a sedan that it both lower and wider. Key carbon fiber bits include the front splitter, rear diffuser and side sill skirts, as well as the roof and door mirror casings.
(For still more on the Eau Rouge, Click Here.)
The Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge also gets 21-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels and a dual-exit exhaust sports system mounted below the show car’s integrated rear spoiler.
The production version of the Q50 is the first new model launched under the maker’s new naming strategy – with all passenger car models designated with a Q, and all crossovers and utes carrying the QX designation.
But that’s only one of the many changes at the Nissan luxury subsidiary. Infiniti recently relocated its headquarters to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, it has been given not only more autonomy but significantly more resources, including its own design and engineering operations.
It also has a new Director of Performance, Red Bull’s four-time World Champion driver, Sebastian Vettel. Vettel is credited with assisting Infiniti in developing the Q50 Eau Rouge.
(Infiniti one of the luxury makers exploring its options in the emerging compact luxury crossover segment. Click Here for the story.)
But fans will have the chance to influence the show car’s complete unveiling. Starting today, “advocates” will be able to use social media channels like Twitter (hashtag #F1Q50), Facebook and Weibo, Infiniti explains, to “build the image of the concept in a virtual garage.” Each “share” will help build individual Q50 components, and as more fans share, the quicker the car will be “built.” Progress can be viewed on unveil.infiniti.com.
Whether any of the elements incorporated into the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge actually makes it into a production model remains to be seen.