Infiniti Says It Is Targeting S500 And Panamera With New Q80 Plugin-Hybrid - Should That Segment Be A First Priority?

Infiniti is simply not being considered by the customers as a competitor to Mercedes and Bmw. THey are more in the Lexus,AUDI,Buick level - and until they produce a car that is measurably superior in most every way - that competes with the S-Class - they will remain second tier. However - I don't believe that a Hybrid is the way to go to get that market status.

To specifically "target" Merc & BMW is a plan...however crazy it is. Infiniti should build the Q80 coupe-style sedan as shown but offer 2-3 versions (hybrid, V8, twin-turbo V6)(AWD option on all) of the model to effectively cover the range of consumer interest at that pricing level. I think the brand hasn't quite accepted their consumer perception in-relation to the European luxury brands. But targeting the segment benchmarks won't help unless they actually FOLLOW-THRU with their claims & future plans.

A lot of people liked the M56/M56xS but felt it was too much car over the V6 version. Most people appreciate Infiniti b/c it's like this nice quiet alternative to M-B & BMW & Audi. To be honest, Nissan/Infiniti has the necessary tools to put together some really competitive luxury models. They just need to update their bread-and-butter engines & be committed to really producing a good flagship car for the brand. The QX80 is ok as-is for now, but hopefully they're working on the next QX70 that could do well at competing with all the segment new-comers.

Hideous and dumb effort.

AnimeJapan...you need to get back on your meds.

Blah, blah Infiniti, whatever! They've been claiming for years that they're going to bring new, innovative models to the marketplace, yet the majority of their lineup still continues to be uncompetitive while looking outdated & drab.

What happened to protective bumpers?
How do these jelly bean cars protect themselves in urban environments. Have you ever seen how city people park? They back into a park spot and stop AFTER they smack into the car behind. They then pull forward till they smack into the car in front.

Imagine how this jelly bean Infiniti was fare in the real world. It almost begs to be hit....Your insurance rates will soar.

A frightening face only AnimeJapan could love.

THE FLAGSHIPS ARE NOT BIG VOLUME SELLERS. INFINITI IS A POS COMPANY ANWAY...SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON RELIABILITY/QUALITY...DESIGN IS GOOD..SEXY...BUT QDR SUCKS JUST LIKE THE GERMANS.