A recent report suggests that Infiniti, Nissan’s premium brand, will launch a new Halo sports car by the end of 2016, using hybrid technology explored with the Emerg-e and Essence concepts. It is expected to use either a range-extender or plug-in hybrid technology, giving it a wide appeal to its likely audience.

Infiniti will reportedly aim the new sports car customers in their late 20s, likely with just a single child and with a high degree of environmental awareness, and the majority of buyers are expected to come from Asia, so the car is likely to be designed around their tastes.

The vehicle certainly won’t be the first sports car to feature hybrid technology, many automakers are going that direction today. Not all sports cars use this technology merely for increased efficiency either, some, such as Ferrari, use this type of technology to actually increase performance.

One Infiniti executive, brand boss Andy Palmer, hinted that the car would be “like the Tesla sports car option, but with more flexibility in terms of range.” Presumably, he is talking about the Tesla Roadster, but the vehicle wouldn’t rely on electricity alone.

Infiniti’s Emerg-e concept car was a rear wheel drive vehicle that used a Lotus 1.2-liter gasoline engine paired with two electric motors. That drivetrain produce a total of 420 hp. If the car was lightweight and handled well, 420 hp would be able to provide an impressive level of performance.

The Essence, meanwhile, used a hybrid drivetrain involving a 3.7-litre V6 mated to an electric motor, which could work individually or together to produce peak power of up to 592bhp.

Palmer ruled out using the existing powertrain from the high-performance Nissan GT-R, saying that it was “not suitable for Infiniti”.

He added: “There are all sorts of issues, especially around NVH [noise, vibration and harshness]. Our target customers are not people who compromise, so we need to ensure we deliver the best of everything.”

A halo car is seen as crucial to the firm’s ambitious growth plans from fewer than 200,000 global annual sales today to 500,000 by 2020, as it battles to improve brand awareness, notably in emerging markets.

Infiniti has already made great strides in this area through its sponsorship of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, and senior management is said to see a hugely desirable sports car as another step on that path.

As an example of what could be achieved, Palmer cited a metric that recorded a rise in awareness in China from 19 to 29 per cent in two years because of its Formula 1 involvement.

“Every rise in awareness should have a direct impact on sales, provided we are doing our job right every step of the way,” said Palmer.

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