Infiniti’s Wild QX80 Concept Is Actually Going Into Production

Infiniti isn’t wasting time here. What started as a pair of wild concepts is already becoming real, and it’s happening sooner than expected.

Last year, the brand showed two extremes of what the QX80 could become. First came the Track Spec, with a heavily worked 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 pushing past 650 hp and 750 lb-ft. Then things got a bit out of hand with the R-Spec, borrowing the GT-R’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 and pushing it beyond 1,000 hp. That one was always more of a statement.

The version heading to production sits somewhere in between but closer to the Track Spec. Infiniti has confirmed a boosted twin-turbo V6 with over 600 hp will arrive this year. So, a big step up from the standard QX80’s 450 hp and 516 lb-ft (699 Nm), but still within reason for a road car.

There’s a good chance the Red Sport badge makes a return here, which would make sense. Infiniti hasn’t had a proper performance identity for a while, and this could be a way back in.

If the concept is anything to go by, it won’t just be about power. The Track Spec came with a full visual overhaul. Front splitter, flared arches, deeper side skirts, and around the back, quad exhausts with a proper diffuser. It also ran on 24-inch wheels with Brembo brakes, which it’ll need if it’s really pushing past 600 hp.

Getting one might not be easy, though. Reports suggest Infiniti will limit production to around 600 units a year in the US, with dealers getting cars based on their current QX80 sales.

It’s Infiniti trying something a bit bolder and doing it in limited numbers.