Infiniti QX80 spawns two show variants

Infiniti has unveiled two speculative editions of its QX80 crossover: the Track Spec and the Terrain Spec. Both debuted at the Monterey Car Week as concepts, but both can go into production as long as there is enough demand.

According to Infiniti brand representatives at the show, the idea was to demonstrate how the company can meet the demands of different customers without sacrificing any of the style or comfort of the original car.

Starting with the Track Spec, it looks markedly different from the “vanilla” QX80 with a new front splitter, side skirts, a rear diffuser and quad exhaust finishers. The radiator grille is also new, but not completely original – we’ve seen it on the QX80 Sport introduced in the U.S. in early August. 24-inch wheels and larger Brembo brakes at the front round off the sporty exterior.

It's under the hood that the most important modifications took place this time around, though. Replacing the turbos and the entire exhaust system enabled Infiniti engineers to boost the stock 3.5-liter six-pot to more than 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW) and 1,016 Nm (750 lb-ft) of torque. That’s a solid improvement over the stock 450 PS (444 hp / 331 kW) and 698 Nm (515 lb-ft). The company proudly points out that it didn’t use any aftermarket hardware and redesigned the stock parts instead.

In turn, the QX80 Terrain Spec benefits from added ground clearance (specific numbers unavailable), fender flares, off-road tires, brush guards and auxiliary lighting. The exhaust system exits to a side, and there is a camping tent in a box on the roof. Infiniti mentions transparent hood and a motion-aware surround camera system among installed equipment, but both options are available for the “normal” QX80 as well. The engine goes unmentioned, so it’s probably stock.