The 2009 Infiniti Essence concept car not only launched the brand’s new design language, but it may also inspire a flagship model for the automaker. The Japanese luxury carmaker is said to be preparing a high-performance range-topping four-door coupe which will have twin-turbo V6 hybrid power.
According to an unnamed insider cited by Australia’s Motoring website, the upcoming flagship limousine from Infiniti will be aimed at models such as the Porsche Panamera, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, Mercedes CLS, Audi A7 and Maserati Quattroporte.
The same source reports that all future high-performance Infiniti cars will have the suffix “Eau Rouge” in place of the IPL (Infiniti Performance Line) name, and so the upcoming Infiniti flagship model could be named Q80 Eau Rouge or Q90 Eau Rouge. Sitting above the mid-size Q50 and large Q70 sedans, the flagship four-door coupe will purportedly be based on a new chassis co-developed by Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.
“We are not planning to create a Mercedes S-Class competitor. Our goal is to launch a revised four-door version of the Essence,” said a senior Nissan executive who confirmed that Infiniti does plan to unveil a high-performance luxury sedan.
“The philosophy inside Nissan is that the GT-R’s combination of explosive power and unparalleled handling allowed it to cream the 911. Now the company plans to create a high-performance flagship, using hybrid technology, that will take the challenge right up to the likes of Panamera and beyond,” says the insider.
The flagship Infiniti is expected to offer a choice of two advanced twin-turbo hybrid powertrains, a new 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 with around 410 kW (550hp) and an all-new 3.7-liter V6 with an overall output of 522 kW (700hp).
Both versions are rumored to use the Attesa AWD system from the Nissan GT-R and should debut in 2017 or 2018 with a starting price under $200,000.
By Dan Mihalascu
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