After many teasers but only six months since the idea surfaced during a conversation between Infiniti’s Chief Creative Officer, Shiro Nakamura, and Red Bull racing driver Sebastian Vettel, the Japanese firm's one-off FX50 Performance Concept dedicated to the reigning Formula One World Champion has been fully revealed.
Sebastian Vettel, who already owns an FX as Infiniti's Global Brand Ambassador [sic...], cooperated with the company's engineers to create the concept model that sports several changes over the standard production version both mechanically and cosmetically.
On the outside, the priority was given to improve the luxury crossover's aerodynamics with a 20mm lower chassis and an aero package that includes new front and rear bumpers.
Carbon fibre was used for the front splitter and rear diffuser (the styling of which was inspired by Red Bull's F1 car), side sills, front grille and mirror covers.
As a result of these changes, there's a 30 per cent improvement in the coefficient of lift (Cl) and a 5 per cent lower coefficient of drag (cd).
The FX50 Vettel concept rides on 21-inch black lightweight alloys with silver rims.
Infiniti says that the alloy wheels and carbon fiber components help reduce the concept's weight by 46kg (101 pounds) over the standard FX50S Premium at 2,049kg (4,517 lbs).
The crossover concept's dashboard, center console and door panels are trimmed in real black carbon fibre, while Alcantara is used on the steering wheel and gearshift paddles. The special sport seats with added support are covered in black quilted suede cloth finished with purple stitching and special “SV” logos, while the material also features on the pillars, roof lining and sun visors.
Rounding up the interior upgrades is a metal plate on the centre console featuring the World Champion’s signature.
Under the hood, the FX50 Vettel concept is fitted with a lightly upgraded version of the standard model's 5.0-liter V8 engine featuring a retuned ECU and a new exhaust system that help lift output from 390HP to 420HP.
Infiniti's engineers also removed the speed limiter and added a longer final drive ration allowing the FX50 to reach a top speed of 300km/h (187mph). The longer overall gearing reduces the horsepower gains, but with a 5.6-second time for the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint, the concept is still two tenths of a second ahead of the standard car.
Other changes to the FX50 include stiffer springs and re-rated dampers.
“This is the first road car I have helped develop," commented Sebastian Vettel. "Usually I have hundreds of engineers building one car just for me. So it is fantastic for me to contribute to the design of a car. The result is an Infiniti I am very proud to have my name on. It is all I hoped for: 300km/h, plenty of downforce – and I can still fit my mountain bike in the back. Plus it is totally exclusive – and as an Infiniti driver, that’s important,” Vettel added
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