This is Infiniti's new 7 Series rival..

You’ve probably picked up on the fact that Infiniti are on a charge at the moment – its C-Class rivalling Q50 goes on sale later this month, while the premium compact Q30 Concept will be revealed at next month’s IAA Frankfurt.

And while the bulk of future sales should come from these mid-sized models, there’s plenty still to be undertaken in elevating the brand above that of parent company Nissan.

Back in April the company’s president, Johan de Nysschen, confirmed he’d be taking the range upwards “..with fascinating and highly aspirational models positioned above today’s M.” Well, here is one of those models, likely to be called Q80, which will go head-to-head with Audi’s A8, Mercedes’ S-Class and BMW’s 7 Series sometime during the next 3-5 years.

Simon Cox, Design Director, Infiniti Design London.

It is likely to be powered by Infiniti’s new 414bhp 5.6-litre V8 engine in U.S. markets, together with an updated version of the 3.5-litre Hybrid also used in the Q70 (formerly M35h). The design was penned by Infiniti Executive Design Director, Alfonso Albaisa and leaked to show the promise behind their future plans.

Infiniti’s goal for the Q80 is to build the aspirational appeal of the Infiniti brand, which it will do together with a new sports car model derived from the 408bhp hybrid Emerg-E.

In this strategy Albaisa will now be joined by Simon Cox, designer of the Opel Speedster and futuristic Cadillac Cien. Cox was formerly Design Director for General Motors’ Advanced Design Studio in London and will take on a similar role for Infiniti. He will lead a new Infiniti design studio in London, which is planned to open in October.

“Taking on the role of Design Director, Infiniti Design London is an exciting challenge,” said Cox. “The new Infiniti design studio in London is a great opportunity to develop the Infiniti brand and products from a European perspective.”

Infiniti have chosen to establish dedicated design studios in three global locations; London, San Diego in the United States and Beijing, China. Cox will play a key role in evolving Infiniti’s design language and leading its next generation of models.

Meanwhile, expect to see more of the Q80 (in concept form) at a motor show during the next few years.

Written By

Steve Davies

Steve is an investor, private equity advisor and former Partner at KPMG, PwC and Bain. Most importantly he's a life-long car enthusiast, mountain biker and active sports enthusiast. He designs and builds technology platforms and is the architect behind Transmission.