Infiniti Q80 Inspiration concept previews Porsche Panamera fighter

Infiniti has revealed further details of a four-seat fastback concept that previews a future rival to the Porsche Panamera. The Infiniti Q80 Inspiration will be revealed in full at the Paris motor show next month.

The concept – plans for which were exclusively revealed by Autocar a year ago – is described as a "low-slung, ingeniously aggressive four-passenger fastback" and previews a production car which will sit at the very top of Infiniti's range.

Infiniti's long-held plans to take on luxury rivals like Porsche with a larger sports saloon are well known. It's previously been mooted that such a car could come to market in 2017 or 2018. However, there is also a possibility that the Q80 Inspiration will instead inspire a more luxurious saloon to rival the Mercedes-Benz S-class.

The company's executive design director, Alfonso Albaisa, told Autocar: "This is a portfolio extension and it shows what it means for Infiniti to go to the upper premium segment.

"We want to create a new silhouette and also show that tailoring is the key to Infiniti’s future. Inside there’s no compromise on the emotion or the roominess, that’s why it’s a five-metre car."

According to the Japanese manufacturer, the Q80 Inspiration "provides a glimpse into Infiniti's high-performance and efficient hybrid-electric powertrain implementation".

The Q80 Inspiration is 5052mm in length with a wheelbase of 3103mm. It is 2027mm wide, 1350mm high and rides on 22in alloys.

As a comparison, the production Porsche Panamera is 5015mm long, 1931mm wide, 1418mm high and has a wheelbase of 2920mm.

As with many contemporary concepts, the Q80 Inspiration does away with wing mirrors to retain the sleek side profile. There's also a teardrop-shaped passenger greenhouse, and the doors open in what Infiniti calls a 'portal' style – what some would call a 'suicide' door arrangement.

Although Infiniti hasn't revealed any images of the cabin, it describes it as having a '1+1+1+1' seating arrangement – in other words, four individual seats – and the occupants are surrounded by premium materials including carbonfibre, aluminium and leather.

The chassis is light and rigid, combining lightweight acoustic glass and additional sound deadening materials to provide a extremely hushed driving experience. Infiniti says the car would utilise advanced adaptive suspension for a cosseting ride.

Infiniti said the Q80 Inspiration is a design to which the company's four worldwide design studios "will refer regularly" when creating future production models.

Simon Cox, boss of Infiniti's new London design studio, added: "The Q80 really is something unique. It has a distinct feeling, especially when compared to our German rivals. We want to be provocative, we want to be different but desirable."