Earlier this year, we heard that Infiniti might be working on re-entering the performance sedan market. After all, the Q60, its last entrant into the space, has been out of production for a few years now. With the luxury marque’s parent company, Nissan, in somewhat dire straits, nothing should be off the table. As it turns out, we might get something even hotter than a 450-horsepower 3 Series fighter — Infiniti execs claim to be going right for the jugular, targeting BMW M, Mercedes AMG, and Audi RS with “ultimate performance” cars.

Infiniti’s All-Out Run For Performance

In words with Automotive News, Nissan Americas product planning chief Ponz Pandikuthira shared what the future holds for Infiniti. Reportedly, the brand’s motorsports division, Nismo, is helping to breathe new life into existing and future models. Reportedly, the project is targeting “low volume,” and is in an “advanced planning stage.” Pandikuthira expressed a desire to bring high-octane and high-adrenaline excitement that doesn’t compromise on comfort. “Customers want ultimate performance but don’t want to compromise on luxury, quietness and fine design,” he told AN. Sounds a lot like the mantra over at BMW M.

It’s a bridge further than Infiniti’s previous attempts at “performance,” too. Unlike the Q60 IPL, which featured a retuned suspension and numerous other changes but only a paltry 18-horsepower gain over the standard car, the new performance models will deliver a patently different experience. Infiniti Americas VP Tiago Castro to AN: “It’s easy just to do another 20 hp, but how do you deliver 50 percent more horsepower with reliability?” He even called out the Q60 IPL specifically, lamenting the meager power gains: “What I don’t want to do is exactly that.”

What Infiniti’s BMW M-Fighting Performance Cars Might Offer

AN goes on to report that Infiniti will offer a variety of vehicles that could fight BMW M’s lineup. The QX80, a three-row SUV, is the only current vehicle identified by name. It would likely target the BMW X7 M60i, Cadillac’s Escalade V, and other big power/big dollar three-row SUVs. A true M3-fighting performance sedan (and/or coupe) is a given, although that of course requires resurrecting Infiniti’s now-dead sedan offering. As we’ve reported before, the new Infiniti sedan would be based on the current Nissan Z and offer a manual transmission. While the standard car was rumored to offer as much as 450 horsepower, it’s likely we’d see even more from a true M-rivaling Infiniti sedan.

Regardless of metrics and details, Infiniti’s performance car brings something even more important than raw performance to the brand: desirability. The halo effect of a real M3-fighting sedan, for example, also allows the brand to sell that many more base cars. Think about it: how many standard 3 Series does BMW sell to people who are lured to the brand by the M3? If Infiniti manages to bring any performance project to market, there’s a good chance it would undercut comparable BMW M models in price without too much compromise in performance. At least, assuming Infiniti stays true to its past endeavors. Interestingly, there’s a Nissan GT-R successor allegedly in the works, but no comments from the Infiniti side regarding it. Odds are, though, that Infiniti wants to move fast. That car isn’t expected to arrive for another three to five years, which may simply not be soon enough for the luxury automaker.

Source: Automotive News