Infiniti caused some ripples across the industry when it unveiled its mighty QX80 R-Spec Concept at the last year’s SEMA show (see video). The company promised to bring it into production by the end of 2026, but has now admitted that it needs more time to make it “truly special.”
This statement was made by Eric Ledieu, VP of Infiniti Americas, as quoted by Automotive News. According to him, the executives reasoned that 600 horsepower alone wasn’t enough for market success. “There’s only one chance to make a first impression,” Ledieu said, explaining that the SUV would have to be modern, cool and engaging in more ways than just raw performance.
Based on this, we suppose the company will still want to bump the output of the car well past the previously announced 608 PS (600 hp / 447 kW), even if only to stay relevant in a market increasingly crowded by four-digit-horsepower EVs from China. The suspension and the brakes will most likely be tweaked in a number of ways. All things considered, the QX80 Red Sport should be good for a sub-5-second sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph).
For his own part, Ledieu has largely declined comment, saying only that the SUV was being envisioned with distinctive interior styling and 24-inch wheels.
The mid-generational refresh of the regular QX80 remains scheduled for the first half of 2028. It’s likely that the company will try to unveil the Red Sport version simultaneously with the facelift.