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The 2019
QX80 continues the bold interpretation of Infinitis Powerful
Elegance design language with unmistakable signature design
elements. It features a commanding presence with powerful
muscularity, enhanced horizontal movement and iconic
double-arch grille and signature headlamps |
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.
— Gardeners look to the earth for the first signs of spring,
nature lovers for the first robin. Auto buffs listen for the engine
rumble of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the first major
automotive gathering of the old car season.
Last weekend,
motorheads converged on tiny Amelia Island, off the coast of
Jacksonville, Fla., for a show that is the must-attend event for car
enthusiasts.
Show founder and
chairman Bill Warner, a genial Southerner with a welcoming smile and
infectious sense of humor, would prefer you think of it not as a
concours d’elegance — a rarefied car show where only the
wealthiest display their exotic vehicles by invitation only.
Instead, consider it a celebration of the automobile, one that
showcases not just mint-condition vintage vehicles, but race cars as
well. It’s a love that grew out of his job as a photographer for
Road & Track and Sports Car Graphic shooting at racetracks in
Sebring and Daytona.
Warner’s love of
all things automotive means you’ll find racing legends such as
Derek Bell, Jackie Ickx, Sam Posey, Hurley Haywood or Lyn St. James
on the field. It also means you’ll also stumble across the
world’s leading automotive design chiefs, including FCA’s Ralph
Gilles, Ford Motor Company’s Moray Callum and GM’s Michael
Simcoe, along with retired design honchos, including Ed Welburn,
Wayne Cherry and Gorden Wagener. You’ll even find Jay Ward,
creative director of Pixar’s “Cars.”
What attracts them,
and thousands of attendees, is the always entertaining show field.
This year, visitors saw rebodied Volkswagen Beetles, Mercedes-Benz
540ks, cars that shuttled heads of states, Ferrari 250 GTs, and cars
and guitars owned by rocks stars, a class that attracted John Oates,
of music duo Hall and Oates.
It solidifies Amelia
as the nation’s most interesting and influential car show, a
garden party fueled by gorgeous sheet metal, intoxicating speed and
the chance to mingle with automotive legends.
It became my
destination for the week, and my chariot of choice to transport me
there was the 2019 QX80.
Redesigned for the
2018 model year, the QX80 retains its expressive, bold exterior
design and incredibly tall overall height. Its boxy look lends the
vehicle an enormous appearance, yet it doesn’t feel as immense
inside, where its leather-lined cabin offers three rows and room for
seven with the second-row captain’s chairs and enormous center
console.
For 2019, Infiniti
has added a new top-of-the-line Limited trim level, which enhances
the exterior’s LED headlights and fog lamps with standard adaptive
lighting with headlamps washers, an optional feature on lesser
models. There are also extra bits of stainless steel and chrome
trim, not to mention an Infiniti spotlight that shines its logo on
the ground as you approach the vehicle. Nice.
But the real treat
lies inside, where luxurious two-tone semi-aniline leather lines the
cabin, accented by an Ultrasuede roof liner and matte silver
open-pore ash wood accents. Of course, entering the cabin means
using the running board, a necessity given this vehicle’s height.
Once there you’ll find it’s an ideal place for four given that
the third row is best left to munchkins or, better yet, cargo. By
folding the third row, you’ll expand the cargo area from
midsize-car-like 16.6 cubic feet to a much more accommodating 49.6
cubic feet.
Storage is ample. The
front armrest can hold three upright one-liter bottles or vertically
hold electronic tablets. However, the cupholders are made of a
single piece of cheap mold-injected plastic that lacks adjustability
for different sized drink containers. This ensures that most will
rattle around unsteadily. But for most, the infotainment system will
be the biggest letdown. Lacking Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, its
8-inch screen, while perfectly functional, seems Lilliputian next to
its competitors. And while its software interface works, it feels
outdated.
Nevertheless, this
luxury vehicle’s performance is pleasing. Based on the Nissan
Patrol, which is sold in the United States as the Nissan Armada, it
employs double-wishbone independent suspension and 22-inch wheels
that return the ride and handling of a luxurious truck, thanks to
Infiniti’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control system that’s standard
on the Limited and optional on other models. HBMC monitors body lean
and roll and adjusts suspension stiffness on each side of the car by
transferring oil between hydraulic cylinders connected to the shock
absorbers. As the car corners and the body starts to lean, HBMC
firms up the suspension on one side of the car to counter it. As its
name implies, HBMC does a good job of limiting body motions while
smothering the worst that our neglected highways can dish out. While
remaining stable in corners, there’s still enough body lean to
slow you down. In addition, the automatic rear-leveling suspension
maintains the perfect ride height while hauling cargo or an
8,500-pound trailer.
Power is smooth and
ample thanks to a double-overhead-cam V-8 and seven speed automatic
transmission that delivers 400 horsepower to the rear wheels or all
four depending on model. The Limited test model had the latter,
which was actuated through a dial mounted on the center console.
That said, you’ll find the QX80 struggles to meet its EPA-rated
mileage. Overall mileage came in at 13.3 mpg despite highway
driving. Thankfully, it doesn’t require premium fuel.
Despite its thirst,
the QX80 Limited is a satisfactory road warrior, delivering a
comfort, style and capability. In that regard, it calls to mind the
finest luxury rides of decades past that you’ll find at the
automotive nirvana that is the Amelia Island Concours. It’s an
event that should be on every automotive enthusiast’s bucket list.
Travelling there in a
ride as sweet as the 2019 Infiniti QX80 is merely gilding the lily.
———
Stats
Base prices:
$65,100-$89,800
Engine: 5.6-liter
DOHC V8
Horsepower: 400
Torque: 413
pound-feet
EPA fuel economy
(city/highway): 14/20 (RWD); 13/19 (4WD)
Wheelbase: 121.1
inches
Length: 210.2 inches
Ground clearance: 9.2
inches
Towing capacity:
8,500 pounds
Cargo capacity:
16.6-95.1 cubic feet
Curb weight:
5,679-5,926 pounds
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