Source: InfinitiSource: InfinitiWhatever happens behind closed doors at Nissan and Infiniti is anyone's guess, but occasionally the brand pulls together something from left field that, whether it works or not, is fairly interesting and exciting.The Nissan Armada Nismo is one of those concoctions, and now Infiniti is working on an even higher-performance variant of the QX80; however, the release of the performance SUV is being delayed so that Infiniti can hit its mark rather than launch something half-baked.Source: InfinitiSource: InfinitiAdvertisementAdvertisementThe QX80 is Infiniti's version of the Nissan Armada. It's hardly the platform that comes to mind for the prospect of a high-horsepower, performance-tuned machine; one look at the vehicles' shape and you know it's big, heavy, and has a high center of gravity.All of these are bad for sporting automotive intentions, but then again, the Cadillac Escalade V exists, and vehicles like the Rivian R1S are shockingly good to drive. So why can't Infiniti pull it off, too?Source: InfinitiSource: InfinitiNissan tried to get there with the Armada Nismo, which launched for the 2026 model year. The bulking SUV was taken to the in-house tuner and given upgrades to the steering, suspension, and exhaust, plus an extra 35 horsepower over the normal Armada (for a total of 460 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque from its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6). Visual upgrades were more drastic, with a 2000s-esque body kit, 22" forged wheels, a bright red interior, and Nismo badges aplenty.AdvertisementAdvertisementThough it drives very well, the Armada Nismo is hardly a high-performance machine. 0-60 MPH takes 6.2 seconds and though it handles better than the standard Armada, it's still a big, lumbering thing that is happiest on a highway rather than a back road.Apparently this isn't good enough for Infiniti, which is really aiming to up the ante with the yet-to-officially-be-revealed QX80 Red Sport.infiniti delays high performance qx80 so they can make it even betterRed Sport isn't a new name for Infiniti's performance division; the first Q50 Red Sport 400 debuted for the 2016 model year, and it branched out (if you can call it that) to the Q60 for 2017. Production ran through the 2022 model year for the coupe and 2023 for the sedan, but the brand never did anything with the Red Sport name aside from these two cars.That is, until now. Automotive News reported some months ago that Infiniti is cooking up a hot version of the QX80 full-size SUV to stand above the Armada Nismo, and it's going to have a bunch of goodies that actually make its performance notable. On the menu are retuned and improved suspension, bigger and stronger brakes, wide fender flares, active exhaust, and aerodynamic improvements. We got a glimpse of what this could look like back in 2025 with the QX80 Track Spec, but there has been radio silence ever since.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe brand did build the QX80 R-Spec for last year's SEMA show; that build used the engine and suspension components from the Nissan GT-R. The brand is not expected to go that far with the upcoming QX80 Red Sport.Source: InfinitiSource: InfinitiIn order to make this vehicle worth building (and selling), Infiniti is giving itself another year to get it sorted the way it wants. Production has reportedly been delayed so that the QX80 Red Sport will land as a 2028 model year, which aligns with the timing for which the brand has to refresh the whole QX80 line.It sounds like the company is actually doing its due diligence here to make a performance SUV that's actually good to drive, with Infiniti Americas Vice President Eric Ledieu saying that, "As we have started to work on the project, we're realizing that power alone is not sufficient [...] We know we have one chance at a first impression when it comes to this type of product," he explained. "When you're paying six figures for a performance-based SUV of this size and scale, it needs to deliver." Sounds promising, doesn't it?Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.