We’re a fan of mainstream luxury automakers getting in on the sports car game. The result has been some impressive cars such as the Audi R8, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Infiniti has telegraphed its desire to compete with the best of what the Germans have to offer, and to put more of an emphasis on the European market.
A production version of the Etherea Concept will be produced by Magna Steyr in Poland, and it will be a key part of Infiniti’s plan to boost Euro sales to 100,000 by 2016. Luxury is all about image though, and Infiniti needs some image cars. The Emerg-E Concept could be just the trick in that regard.
It was released at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, as a very stylish, fluidic mid-engined ssportscar. It s design stands in stark contrast to the edginess of the R8. When it debuted though, it wasn’t clear if it was a pie-in-the-sky concept or if it signaled a production intent. As far as styling, it wasn’t anything too outlandish. However, the concept was not a running, road-capable vehicle. Infiniti is announcing that it has produced a running “prototype” of the Emerg-E, and that it will be shown off at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The prototype language is interesting as well, indicating this could be something they intend to explore further. According to Infiniti Global Chief Marketability Engineer (how’s that for a title?) Jerry Hardcastle, it will be a special event for those in attendance. “The Festival of Speed crowds will be seeing EMERG-E in action for the first time ever, even before many of Infiniti’s top executives have seen it,” says Hardcastle. The Emerg-E has a three-cylinder gasoline engine as range-extender, a lithium ion battery pack and two electric motors. Taking the opportunity to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a smart move, given the crowds and press exposure. Goodwood takes place in the United Kingdom from June 28th to July 1st.
