Cool Concept: Infiniti Essence

Take a look at Infiniti's latest concept car, which happens to be the fastest hybrid in the world.

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Though the Nissan brand has been around for 77 years, its luxury offshoot, Infiniti has only been around for 20. To celebrate their two decades in the game, Infiniti decided to have a little fun and design the dopest car to ever come out of their Japanese studios, the Essence Concept. Looking like a mash up of Speed Racer's Mach V and one of their G coupes, it got a great reception when it was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva show. And we can see why. Besides it's sleek, sporty luxury coupe looks, the Essence boasts a drivetrain as powerful as its exterior is stylish. They even enlisted Louis Vuiton to make them a special set of luggage to fit into the trunk!

To show their American fans what their capable of, Infiniti showed the coupe for the first time on U.S. soil at the 2010 New York Auto Show. There's no word on whether or not the Essence is going to get made, but just in case they do produce it, read on below to learn everything you need to know...

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Exterior: Swoops and more swoops is the name of the game here. We're not sure of the drag coefficient, but we're guessing it's pretty damn low. The body looks downright slippery, with its long hood and bulging front wheel arches. The Infiniti grill remains but a lot changes, looking to the future of the brand. It walks that fine line between concept car and 2012 model.

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Interior: Upping the ante, Infiniti put together one of their most luxurious interiors yet. Everything is dark woods and soft suede's. The driver is made to feel as if he's in a cockpit with the minimally designed controls leaning in towards them. Yet, underneath that luxe veneer lies a sporty side. Just look at the flat bottom steering wheel, the paddle shifters and the sport bucket seats. It's like a GTR with a Brioni suit on.

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Power: At the heart of the Essence is Nissan's tried and true 3.7 liter V6 DOHC Twin Turbo VQ engine (VQ37DETT) producing 434 hp. If that engine sounds a little familiar, it's because it's the same engine in the Nissan GTR. But as good as that motor is, it won't cut compared to all the hybrid sports and super cars we've seen at recent shows. To compete, Infiniti threw in a twin clutch mounted disc type electric motor capable of 158 hp, bringing the total 8 hp shy of 600. If you're keeping track, that makes it one of the worlds most powerful hybrird cars. But the real crazy part? Infiniti says it can get 30 mpg.

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