Infiniti started their update process back in 2013 with the Q50. In 2014 they released the Q100 concept car, a high-end two-door coupe aimed straight at the S-Class Coupe. However, the car is expected to launch with the 2018 Infiniti Q100 and so far not much information has been available about it.
The car is expected to be based on an entirely new rear wheel drive chassis which is eventually going to underpin Infiniti’s flagship sedan as well. Unfortunately, at this point, the car is nothing more than just a rumor. Despite that, there have been some inside sources suggesting that the car is still under development so that a production-ready model might be out by the end of 2017.
2018 Infiniti Q100 Price
Some suggested that the car would use the same platform as the upcoming Nissan GT-R. This would actually make a lot of sense considering the price-tag of the future Q100. So far the only figure available is $150,000 which is a lot, especially for a manufacturer that doesn’t really have over $100,000 cars.
Unlike the GT-R, which is expected to be all-wheel drive, the Q100 is likely going to be rear wheel drive in its base configuration. Also, the Infiniti might use a longer wheelbase to give it more interior space as well as a more conventional look. Rumors suggest that the Q100 could be presented in 2017 while the sales would start during the summer.
Design
The earliest preview of the 2018 Infiniti Q100 is the Essence Concept released back in 2009. Since then they haven’t released anything else about the future model. However, considering that most of their other models did borrow from the Essence concept, it is safe to assume that the production Q100 will do too. The car is expected to feature a long hood, which is the iconic design of a true coupe, as well as a short back end. The back will most likely be in the shape of a shooting brake in order to give it more interior space but nothing is certain at this point.
Inside the Cabin
The 2009 concept was quite impressive but times have changed and its design is no longer state of the art. Instead, the 2018 model will most likely hit the market with a completely redesigned interior. This should make use of a driver-oriented dashboard, a fully digital instrument cluster as well as a large screen from where most of the car’s features will be controlled. Also, some suggested that Infiniti will offer the car with four fully fledged individual seats. This would be possible thanks to its longer wheelbase and shooting brake design.
Under the hood
Even though some suggested that the 2018 Infiniti Q100 would use a newly developed V8, Infiniti did say a while ago that they will move all of their high-end models to V6 engines. The first step was the introduction of the new twin-turbo 3 liter unit which is one of the more refined in its class. However, the maximum output of this engine is around 400 horsepower which would simply not be enough for a car costing $150,000. To please their customers, a hybrid is a real possibility.
This could combine the 400 horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 with a set of electric motors mounted on the rear axle. This would keep the car as a rear wheel drive model. The electric motors would not only boost the output of the V6 but they would also allow for all-electric operation. This would make the Q100 one of the more interesting cars in its class. An all wheel drive system would have been preferred. However, considering the GT-R will likely use the same platform, it would create competition between the two cars. This wouldn’t be all that great considering that both of them are basically from the same brand.