Infiniti is in a tough spot right now and seems to be in a bit of a "throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks" mode. Just last week, the Japanese automaker unveiled the QX80 Sport — a vaguely sporty variant of a massive luxury SUV I quite like. It didn't seem totally necessary at the time, but now it's evident that it was just a quick taste of what Infiniti was planning for its QX80 flagship. The automaker just pulled the sheets off of two concept vehicles: the QX80 Track Spec and QX80 Terrain
Spec.
Unveiled at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, these two chaotic sisters are meant to push the boundaries of what you can do with a massive body-on-frame SUV like the QX80. Infiniti tells us the Track Spec is meant to be its interpretation of the "ultimate performance SUV" by turning the beast into a "more thrilling, focused performance machine." On the flip side, we've got the Terrain Spec, which is — you guessed it — all about off-roading. More specifically, its mission is focused on overlanding while still being a serious luxury vehicle.
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Tracking A QX80
Turning a 6,000-pound truck-based SUV into a performance vehicle is no small task, but Infiniti designers and engineers did their damnedest to make it happen. On the outside, it has unique rocker panels, front splitter, fender vents and front air intakes. It also gets the reworked grille from the aforementioned QX80 Sport. Out back, you're going to find quad exhaust tips and a rear diffuser, and along the side, you'll certainly see the 24-inch wheels and fender flares that facilitate a wider, more aggressive stance.
Don't be fooled, though. The QX80 Track Spec concept is far more than just an appearance package. Unlike the Sport, Infiniti re-tuned the engine of the Track Spec. Its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 now puts out over 650 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque — a 50% increase in both metrics thanks to new turbochargers and a reworked exhaust system. It also features a new compressor, a higher-capacity intercooler, new fuel injectors and ram air intake. That's some serious work right there. It'll also be able to stop just as well as it goes, thanks to enlarged front Brembo brakes.
Right now, Infiniti hasn't said anything about actual performance metrics, but with an additional 200+ hp, I'm sure it's going to cut quite a bit of time from the standard QX80's 5.3-second spring to 60.
Going Where No QX80 Has Gone Before
Being a massive, luxury-oriented SUV doesn't exactly lend itself to being good off-road, but Infiniti's engineers were clearly undeterred by that — putting their strange minds together to come up with the QX80 Terrain Spec. There are few market segments as hot as off-roaders right now, so it definitely makes sense that Infiniti would dip its toes in the water.
This truck comes with a taller ride height, off-road wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires that are covered by some pretty extreme fender flares. On top of that, the Terrain Spec is equipped with limb risers, a rooftop-mounted lightbar and even a pop-up tent in case you want to torture yourself by sleeping on top of your car.
To make off-roading in a rig this big a bit more manageable, it is fitted with Infiniti's camera system, including Invisible Hood View. It uses advanced image processing to project an image of what's actually underneath the vehicle onto the center display. I've used this before during testing, and it's honestly a very neat piece of equipment. It also comes with your standard 360-degree camera.
There's no word on what sort of powertrain the QX80 Terrain Spec concept is running with. I sort of doubt it's the same one you'd find in the Track Spec, but that's OK. You don't need that much power when you're off-roading, but it would be nice to have, wouldn't it? I suppose theoretical drivers will have to make do with the 450 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque the standard SUV's motor produces.
I'm not sure if either of these rigs will end up seeing the light of day, but I'd have to think the Terrain Spec is the more realistic of the two. The market for a big off-roader is far greater than the one for a full-size performance SUV. To be honest, though, I'd like to see both trucks enter production. It's not like Infiniti has anything left to lose.
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