Infiniti Q80 Inspiration Concept revealed

The Infiniti Q80 Inspiration Concept has been revealed ahead of a Paris Motor Show debut as an Infiniti take on cars like the Mercedes CLS and BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.

We thought BMW was a bit late to the swoopy four-door coupe with the 6 Series Gran Coupe, but Infiniti are even further behind the trend started by Mercedes with the CLS.
But they’re intent on putting that right – and extending the reach of the Infiniti range – with the Infiniti Q80 Inspiration Concept, revealed ahead of a debut at Paris next week and almost certainly heading for production.

At just over 5 metres long, the Q80 Inspiration is a bit longer than the Mercedes CLS (and the 6 Series Gran Coupe and Audi A7 too) as well as wider and lower and it also has a longer wheelbase, which augers well for leg room (if not head room) in the back.

We only have the single rear three-quarter shot of the Q80 Inspiration (above), but it certainly looks ‘Swoopy’ with what looks like a Panoramic glass roof flowing down through the rear hatch, a rounded rump, dramatic roofline, no apparent door handles or door mirrors and oversize alloys.

Infiniti hasn’t revealed what’s powering the Q80, except to say it’s a ‘high performance efficient hybrid’, but they do say it gets advanced suspension (no doubt fettled by Sebastian Vettel), a light and rigid chassis and the promise of a driving, and ride, experience ‘among the very best’.

Inside, Infiniti are promising a highly stylised environment with four individual seats (which Infiniti are calling 1+1+1+1) with lashings of carbon fibre, leather and aluminium.

Infiniti Executive Design Director, Alfonso Albaisa, said:

After showing Q30 Concept and Q50 Eau Rouge, Infiniti is eager to show the upper range of our portfolio expansion.
In Q80 Inspiration, we wanted to capture that unforgettable feeling when you experience something important, something beautiful, something magnetic for the first time.

The more ‘Concept’ elements will no doubt be changed for any production version of the Q80, but we must assume – with Infiniti’s clear intent to enter the sector – that the basic shape will remain pretty faithful to the concept.