Infiniti has a spotty history of making its sleek and sexy concept a reality. Hopefully, this one will get the green light.
Infiniti just gave us our first look at a promising new concept called the 2018 Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept, which will debut next week at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The only problem is that Infiniti has gotten our hopes up before.
While many of Infiniti's recent concept cars were just thinly veiled previews of production models (like the QX50 Concept, QX30 Concept and Q60 Concept), there have been several stunning concepts that never made it into production. These include the 2012 LE Concept, 2014 Q80 Inspiration Concept, 2012 Emerg-E Concept and don't forget the Nissan GT-R-powered Q50 Eau Rouge Concept.
Very little information was provided about the Q Inspiration Concept ahead of next week's introduction, but Infiniti did confirm that this car hints at the brand's future design language.
Additionally, the following quote from Karim Habib, Infiniti's executive design director, does give further insight:
"We aim to take traditional sedan architecture to its next stage of evolution. The Q Inspiration offers an alternative form; something more flowing in appearance and muscular in stance, with an unusually long and balanced cabin. Experimenting with new proportions in an established segment with the arrival of smarter, compact powertrains, the Q Inspiration features a shorter hood and elongated body, with all the benefits to interior wellbeing, comfort and space that this layout entails."
The most intriguing part of this quote is the "smarter, compact powertrains" line suggesting that this concept could even preview some sort of electrification such as plug-in hybrid (using a small-displacement engine) or full electric. Seeing as how almost all of Infiniti's luxury competition already offer one or both, either would be a much-needed addition to the lineup.
In terms of design, this sole image gives the rear view of the 2018 Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept a look that is a mix of the Porsche Mission E Concept and the Tesla Model S - both are electric vehicles. Even if this concept doesn't lead to an actual production vehicle, it might lay the ground works for a true flagship sedan to compete against cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.
We will find out more about this car when it makes its official debut on January 15.
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