2006 Infiniti Coupe Concept

The 2006 Infiniti Coupe Concept was a sleek four-seat luxury sports coupe built to show where Infiniti’s design was headed next. Unveiled at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it combined a full-length glass roof, 20-inch wheels, camera-based mirrors and a leather-and-aluminum cabin in a shape that was futuristic without being completely detached from reality. That mattered, because much of the idea would soon reappear in the next-generation Infiniti G Coupe.

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The Infiniti Coupe Concept was created at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan as an evolution of Infiniti’s growing design language. Rather than starting over, the designers took the long hood, muscular fenders and flowing roofline associated with the G35 Coupe and pushed them further. A gently rising shoulder line ran through the body, while sculpted front fenders and a deep front spoiler gave the car a lower, wider stance.

The concept rode on 20-inch nine-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 255/35R20 tires in front and 275/35R20 tires at the rear. Large disc brakes sat behind them, while dual exhaust outlets were integrated into the rear fascia with polished aluminum finishers. Infiniti did not publish engine, horsepower or performance specifications for the show car, so the Coupe Concept was much more about showing the next design than proving it on a dyno.

One of its most distinctive features was the full-length glass roof, which stretched over the passenger compartment and made the cabin feel far more open than the low roofline suggested. Traditional side mirrors were replaced with small exterior cameras, with their images displayed on flip-up screens beside the instrument cluster. The doors used hidden touch-to-open handles, removing another piece of visual clutter from the body. In 2006 this all looked extremely futuristic; twenty years later, automakers are still trying to make camera mirrors happen.

Lighting was equally elaborate. Large projector-style LED headlights and taillights used a layered surface treatment that Infiniti compared to sunglasses, giving the lamps different visual depth depending on the viewing angle. Brushed and polished aluminum also appeared around the brand’s double-arch grille, side sills, spoiler and exhaust surrounds, contrasting with the concept’s polished bare-metal-look paint.

Inside, the Coupe Concept used Infiniti’s double-wave dashboard with five large gauges illuminated in violet. A full-length center console separated the seats and housed the leather-and-aluminum shifter, Infiniti analog clock and the brand’s HMI controller for navigation, climate and vehicle functions. The three-spoke steering wheel added paddle shifters and integrated controls, while aluminum pedals reinforced the performance theme.

The cabin’s stranger detail was its use of textured aluminum inspired by traditional Japanese Washi paper. Infiniti used the finish throughout the interior to soften the usual cold, machined look of metal trim. Deep leather front bucket seats included audio speakers built directly into the headrests, another concept-car detail that was actually aimed at making the cabin more personal rather than simply adding another screen.

The 2006 Infiniti Coupe Concept was never intended to be sold exactly as shown, but it was far more than an isolated styling exercise. Its proportions and major design themes previewed the second-generation V36 Infiniti G Coupe, which arrived for the 2008 model year as the G37 Coupe. The production car lost the camera mirrors, giant glass canopy and some of the show-car jewelry, but the basic shape survived remarkably well. In that sense, the Coupe Concept did exactly what a good concept should: it showed the future, then actually let some of it reach the showroom.