Q60

Make
Infiniti
Segment
Coupe

A few days ago, Infiniti teased that it would be bringing an electrified performance concept to this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. We have to admit that we were pretty excited, perhaps Infiniti would create something that could rival the upcoming Tesla Roadster. The company then showed us a teaser photo of the car, called the Prototype 10, and our excitement was flushed down the toilet. As the name suggests, this car is a prototype, because there is no way in you-know-what that Infiniti will actually build this thing.

The Prototype 10 has now made its official debut at Pebble Beach, where we have to admit, it is pretty cool. Last year, Infiniti showed off the Prototype 9, a retro racecar tribute with the electric motor out of a Nissan Leaf. The new Prototype 10 moves the idea forward with a more futuristic design rather than an homage to the past. Unlike the Prototype 9, Infiniti hasn't quoted any hypothetical power outputs or performance figures - this is clearly just a design study meant to show off the "future of the Infiniti brand."

While we certainly admire the design of the car, we struggle to see how the Prototype 10 is meant to inform us of the company's future. Infiniti says that by 2021, every one of its models will feature electric drivetrain technology. In addition to pure electric models, Infiniti will also offer what it calls "e-POWER vehicles" - we assume that means hybrids - that won't require any sort of external charging.

That's all well and good, but it doesn't mean Infiniti is going to suddenly start building one-seat electric race cars with no roof or windshield. The Prototype 10 is a lovely concept, but it comes from a company that clearly isn't ready to start turning those concepts into a reality. We would have rather seen something more production-ready rather than yet another concept showing Infiniti's unwillingness to put anything truly cool into production.