Infiniti Q80 Inspiration Concept: First Look
Looks like: Infiniti’s take on the Porsche Panamera
Defining characteristics: Svelte hatchback profile, enormous wheels
Ridiculous features: No side mirrors, teardrop roof glass
Chance of being mass-produced: All but certain
Weeks ahead of October’s Paris Motor Show, Infiniti revealed more details and one full image of a four-door coupe concept that previews a future flagship. It’s the second time we’ve heard of the Q80 Inspiration, coming weeks after Nissan’s luxury brand released a teaser image earlier this month. The latest image shows a sedan-meets-hatchback amalgamation with cab-rearward styling, a hybrid drivetrain and enormous wheels.
Related: Infiniti Q80 Inspiration Concept Previews Fastback Flagship
Absent side mirrors or door handles — substantial ones, at least — the Q80 Inspiration’s lines run hollow along the sides but widen into a larger rear end with some interesting taillight visuals. Rear-hinged doors open at the B-pillars, and 22-inch wheels fill the fenders. The glass roof extends down the rear into a sort of teardrop window, and the profile magnifies Infiniti’s forward C-pillar kick, which we’ve seen in subtler form on the Q30 concept and Q50 production cars.
How much of this will make it to production? We’ll see; it is called an “inspiration” after all. Infiniti restricted interior details to one mention about a “highly stylized and personalized ambiance” with plenty of carbon fiber, aluminum and leather. Without more images, it’s hard to tell if the Q80 Inspiration is a long way off from production or, like last year’s Q30, relatively close.
At 198.9 inches long, the Q80 Inspiration concept measures closer to traditional, regular-wheelbase luxury flagships (BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS) than four-door coupes (Porsche Panamera, Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class). But Infiniti’s concept is wider (79.8 inches) and shorter in terms of height (53.1 inches) than the whole group.
We’ll see how those dimensions pan out to a production car, given that Infiniti says the Q80 Inspiration “will lead to a future model.” We forecast it will have the name … Q80. (That took lengthy deliberations. We’re calling it a day.) Given the brand’s latest nomenclature, the name means it will slot above the Q70, formerly the M37/M56. It could signal Infiniti’s first large flagship sedan since the erstwhile Q45, which left the market nearly a decade ago.
Infiniti will introduce full details on the Q80 Inspiration on Oct. 2 during media days at the Paris Motor Show, so stay tuned.
