Unveiled a year ago in Paris, the Q80 Inspiration concept is expected to serve as a basis for the production model. Engineers are said to have focused on the Mercedes-Benz S500 plug-in hybrid and Porsche’s Panamera S E-Hybrid as performance benchmarks, an unnamed Nissan insider told Automotive News.
Longer than Infiniti’s current Q70 flagship, the Q80 sedan was presented as a bold example of the luxury marque’s future design language. The wild concept features suicide rear doors, a panoramic roof, a plush interior and numerous high-resolution displays for the driver and rear-seat passengers.
The concept is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and an electric motor, delivering a combined output of 550 horsepower. The setup is said to capable of achieving 42 mpg in a mixed cycle. It is unclear if the production-bound hybrid will share any of the concept’s theoretical powertrain components.
The plug-in S500 integrates an 8.7-kWh battery pack for up to 20 miles of electric range, with a combined output of 436 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The Panamera E-Hybrid offers a slightly larger battery and 428 ponies when running both the V6 and electric motor.
Infiniti is expected to launch the new flagship plug-in hybrid before the end of the decade, potentially as early as 2018.
Live images by Ronan Glon.
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