The Infiniti Q80 Concept car has only just been introduced at the Paris Motor Show 2014 and it has emerged that the luxury car will make it to production.
While speaking with Autocar at the launch of the Q80, Infiniti’s European boss, Francois Goupil de Bouille said, “The Q80 is way more than a design study, this is our entry into the large saloon segment. Our intention with any prototype is to put as much as possible of it on the road, maybe as much as 90 per cent of the concept.”
Further confirmation came from the company’s European design director Simon Cox who said that despite the firm making the Q80, it “doesn’t mean that we’re not doing other high-end cars” suggesting the widely reported new luxury Infiniti SUV is indeed on the cards.
As for the Infiniti Q80 Concept, it features a 550 hp hybrid power unit. The conventional petrol unit is all-new, a downsized twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V6. It offers an insight into the Infiniti engine portfolio due to be unveiled over the next two years. It is capable of returning 5.5 litres/100km (42.8 mpg) and CO2 emissions of about 129g/km, yet it also offers extreme performance.
The Q80 measures 2.1 metres in width, 5 metres in length and 1.34 metres in height. The design is akin to a fastback but borrows heavily from the Infiniti Q30 concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Inside, the driver and passengers get four individual seats. The driver also receives a head up display and the passenger also has a HUD unit. Both rear passengers get a touch screen. Surfaces include quilted leather and alcantara, together with leather and metal finishes. The panoramic glass roof then arches over the cabin.
Using cameras, lasers and sensors, the Q80 features an autonomous technology system. The system emits tones suggesting a course of action for the driver in heavy traffic or in highway mode. The final decision – whether to accelerate and overtake or whether to brake and fall in behind the car ahead – always rests with the driver.
[Via Autocar]
