Infiniti Wants a 700-HP QX80 to Rival Cadillac Escalade V

Big Power

There was a time not long ago when manufacturers were one-upping each other in power. It seemed like every new model would offer a performance variant that trumps the competition. Those days have slowly faded as the market shifts toward a more fuel-efficient focus, but there are still dedicated models that will keep the power-hungry enthusiast happy.

You wouldn't think of big SUVs as prime candidates for performance upgrades, but surprisingly, this segment still soldiers on with the likes of the Cadillac Escalade V, Range Rover V8, and more. Infiniti apparently wants to join in.

700-hp Infiniti QX80

Speaking to The Drive, Nissan and Infiniti's Senior VP of U.S. Marketing and Sales, Tiago Castro, said the brand would ideally like to offer a 700-horsepower version of the flagship SUV QX80, but timing would be the deciding factor. Castro himself is a proclaimed enthusiast, with his first car being a manual Infiniti G35.

He points out that Cadillac is currently struggling to build Escalade V models fast enough to meet the demand. This, he believes, is the key indicator that the market wants a big, powerful SUV. The Escalade is a beast of a car with a supercharged V8 that makes 682 hp, which could be Castro's barometer for the 700 hp claim on the QX80.

Castro also said that Infiniti is working behind the scenes to reintroduce a dedicated performance line, firmly stating that the brand will connect well with buyers through the performance cars. The QX80 is just one of the many they are considering for future power upgrades. Just a month ago, it was reported that the automaker was working on a QX80 Red Sport with 600 hp. Also in the works is a Red Sport sedan with a manual transmission.

Careful Planning

As optimistic as the executive is, he also notes that the internal discussion is whether it would be better to go for a 700 hp model or if the planned 600 hp is enough. It seems that his key consideration factor revolves around demand, and he sees the Red Sport as something that would right now have the demand.

Given his acknowledgment of the high Escalade V sales, Castro might just use that as his main push to finally get the performance line flowing into dealerships sooner rather than later.

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