To help promote the launch of the Infiniti brand in the U.K., the luxury Japanese automaker will bring its stunning Essence Concept to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in September. Alongside the Essence will be Infiniti’s brand new G37 Convertible. Sadly, Infiniti explicitly points out in its press release that while the G37 will be on sale this year in the U.K., the Essence will not.

The Essence Concept first debuted at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year and was designed to help celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary. Not only does it look stunning, but it’s an engineering marvel, boasting a 600hp hybrid powerplant. Under the hood of the Essence sits a 440hp direct-injection twin-turbo 3.7-liter V6, which is paired with a 140hp electric motor.

Lucky Goodwood spectators will be able to witness the first-ever public drive of the Essence Concept as it takes on the famous Goodwood Hillclimb.

As mentioned, Infiniti continues to hold its position that the Essence will not see production, but with Lexus set to launch the LF-A, perhaps Nissan’s luxury arm will reconsider.

GALLERY: Infiniti Essence Concept

Official release after the jump:

PRESS RELEASE:

INFINITI: ESSENTIAL VIEWING AT GOODWOOD

ROLLE, Switzerland (June 25, 2009) – The Infiniti Essence concept car, shown for the first time four months ago in Geneva, will conclude its pan-European tour at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed. But Essence isn’t the only Infiniti to be making its UK debut. The luxury automotive brand from Japan will also be giving visitors to the Festival a sneak preview of the new G37 Convertible which goes on sale in the UK this September. Unlike Essence, unfortunately.

The Essence concept was created as a celebration of Infiniti and its 20 years history as a creator of performance cars. But equally it is an inspiring exploration into the brand’s future … one that includes launching in the UK. The dramatic design, technology and performance statement is a 600PS petrol/electric hybrid coupe with rear-wheel drive. It will be on display in Goodwood’s FoS-TECH pavilion and also on the famous Goodwood Hillclimb where it will perform in public for the first time.

Joining Essence on the Hillclimb – and later in the Sunday Times Supercar paddock – will be the V6 powered G37 Convertible in right-hand drive form, the first example ever produced. The car’s appearance at Goodwood will be particularly momentous for the two British Infiniti engineers who will drive it as they have worked on the Infiniti Europe project since it started. Offered in a choice of two comprehensively equipped models, both featuring a metal three-piece folding roof, the 320PS G37 Convertible has been designed without compromise to look as beautiful with the top up as it does down. Which is hopefully the position where it will stay for the entirety of the weekend…

We’re sorry to report that Infiniti’s breathtakingly beautiful Essence Concept will not see production, this according to a company spokesman.

The Essence Concept was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and took everyone by surprise as rumors had circled that the vehicle was to be yet another crossover. With a true grand touring look that had cars like the Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari 599 in its sights, the Essence also had the ponies to back it up with 600hp.

It was also a hybrid, with 440hp generated from the twin-turbo 3.7-liter V6 engine and an additional 160 ponies coming from an electric motor.

One part of the car is, however, certain to live on as Infiniti has already confirmed the direct-injection technology used in the Essence motor will make its way into the next M37 and the G37.

And with talk of a higher performance version of the GT-R coming out, there’s no reason it couldn’t get direct-injection technology too.

Still, we’ll miss never seeing this automotive work of art make it to the street.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl via AutoBlog]

GALLERY: Infiniti Essence Concept

After watching from the shadows for years as Toyota dominated the hybrid market, Nissan is finally preparing to launch it’s own ground-up hybrid vehicle; except it won’t be a Nissan, it will be an Infiniti.

According to a report in Japan’s Nikkei, which cites no sources, the hybrid will be based on Infiniti’s mid-level luxury M platform and would hit the market in 2010 in both Japan and North America.

Currently Nissan does offer one hybrid in its lineup, the Altima Hybrid, but that vehicle actually uses a Toyota hybrid system. Nissan is promising its new hybrid system will provide more power and do so much faster.

At this point it is unclear if Nissan’s new hybrid technology would be similar to the second generation setups currently being brought to market by automakers like Toyota or if the new hybrid system would use a lithium polymer (as opposed to lithium ion) setup – something which Hyundai is currently exploring.

The article also says that Nissan has significant hybrid ambitions with plans for many hybrid models in the future, both in the luxury and performance segments.

Infiniti recently debuted it’s Essence Concept at the Geneva Auto Show, a 600hp hybrid Grand Tourer, that gets its power from a 440hp twin-turbocharged direct-injection 3.7-liter V6 and a 160hp electric motor. Infiniti says that the electric motor in the Essence makes twice the power f a conventional electric motor due to its unique makeup.

[Souce: Nikkei via BusinessWeek]