Infiniti Confirms Supercar Program

Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti brand says it will put a supercar into production by about 2017 even though it has yet to decide on the car's powertrain or even whether it will have a front- or mid-engine layout.

Infiniti also hasn't revealed design details. But the car is likely to reflect styling cues from the brand's Essence and Emerg-e hybrid concepts.

Observers speculate that the new supercar will use an electric hybrid powertrain that includes a V-6 engine. They note that the front-drive Essence concept revealed at the Geneva auto show in 2009 coupled a 3.7-liter V-6 and single electric motor with combined output of 592 hp.