Infiniti Essence

If you had any doubts about just how upmarket Infiniti is, then take a look at their Essence concept car, which has been created in conjunction with uber-upmarket luggage maker Louis Vuitton.

What's the point of it all? Well, company insiders say the Essence is a styling experiment that points the way to how a future performance car could look.

It is rear-wheel-drive and is powered by a petrol hybrid system which combines a twin-turbocharged 3.7-litre petrol V6 with an electric motor to produce up to 600bhp. It has a seven-speed paddle-shift gearbox, as already sold on the company's FX SUV.

The interior is also noteworthy for its controls, which are laid out in a hierarchy of how often they are used by most drivers.

Oh, and if you were wondering, Louis Vuitton's contribution is the bespoke set of cases that sit nicely in the luggage compartment.

G37 convertible
Infiniti is also demonstrating an advanced information and entertainment system in its G37 Convertible here at the Geneva motor show.

The system has touchscreen, voice recognition and steering wheel-mounted controls, and includes a 30GB hard drive, sat-nav, full MP3 player and DVD player.

It's also the first time a G37 Convertible has been seen in Europe. It is powered by a 325bhp 3.7-litre V6, with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Infiniti Essence concept car video
• See the Infiniti Essence concept car