The Infiniti Emerg-E was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show as Infiniti’s first mid-engine sports car, but not previously disclosed was that the base of concept was actually the Lotus Evora 414E Concept.
This borrowed design resulted from Infinti developing the car in partnership with Great Britain’s Technology Strategy Board, a government agency which supplies funding for companies looking to make advancements in new car tech that is focused on reducing emissions. Involved heavily in this organization is Lotus, so the company’s technology was offered up as a study for Infiniti to develop its new car.
The design of the car is all from Infiniti, who were trying to capture a fluid design to give the car an air of graceful power, rather than the Lotus which is a little more aggressively styled. The interior is also a complete Infiniti design, going for a more luxury feel than the Lotus ever did. However, this is where the changes stop.
The chassis of the Emerg-E and the Evora is made from all aluminum sections bonded together to form a rigid lightweight assembly that weighs in at 450 pounds. The suspension and brake systems use all lightweight metals, and are also identical between the Evora and the Emerg-E. Powering the car is two electric motors and a single gas motor, with each electric engine hooked to one of the rear wheels driven through a single speed transmission, making a differential unnecessary. A small 3-cylinder gasoline engine will assist the electric motors, enabling the Emerg-E to make the 0-60 mph sprint in four seconds according to the company.
This platform sharing makes the Emerg-E a much more likely candidate for production because the tool and die sets to make the vehicles platform already exist, cutting down significantly on initial start up costs. Infinti also announced that more than one of these cars was put together for testing, signifying a stronger need to test the vehicles capabilities in the real world.
