They say that passenger cars – including beloved segments like the classic four-door sedans – are doomed. So, no wonder that we are now looking at a series of drag and roll races between a couple of Asian 'dinosaurs.' But let us explain.
Back in January, Infiniti decided to have a closer look at the colorful effects of iridescence, which are a natural occurrence in peacocks or minerals like black opals, and then determined their cars needed something like this to stand out in any crowd. Well, after they came up with the new Black Opal Edition Package, it turned out they bestowed it upon the wrong candidate for greatness – the 2023 Q50 Red Sport 400.
It's a black sedan with a color-changing effect slapped on a nameplate that has been forgotten for much longer than its current run, which has lasted since 2013. Yep, this V37 Nissan Skyline is old and not at all mesmerizing, even when showcasing the Red Sport 400 in conjunction with the Black Opal Edition pack. That's quite interesting, right, especially considering that under the hood lies the 3.0-liter Nissan VR30DDTT engine used in the much cooler 2024 Nissan Z and the upcoming Z Nismo!
Oddly enough, someone still found this old Infiniti enticing enough to give it a shot at drag and roll racing glory… on unprepped tarmac. Sam, the host of the Sam CarLegion channel on YouTube, has prepared a drag and roll race series with departing and forgotten Asian 'sedans' – though only after realizing that he never bothered to race the Q50 against a much nicer rival – the five-door Kia Stinger GT liftback saloon!
Even better, he brought to his usual Canadian location (a former airfield strip now surrounded by corn and windmills) a brand-new 2024 Kia Stinger GT Tribute Edition. As diehard fans already know, this version is the last Stinger that will be made as Kia decided to retire the five-door sedan from production – because of CUVs, SUVs, and trucks, you already know that – don't you?
Anyway, this also serves as a nice homage to the Kia Stinger GT, which deploys a Lambda II 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 under the hood with 'just' 368 horsepower on tap. The power difference to Q50's 400 ponies and the fact that Kia's Stinger GT is also heavier seem to favor the Infiniti sedan, right? Well, do remember that this liftback is a lot newer than the decrepit Infiniti sedan and that it was also tuned by folks who used to dabble with Bavarian sports cars not long ago.
Without further ado, let's check out the battles. First, a couple of roll races to properly warm up the tires – from 50 kph (31 mph) in auto mode and then from 60 kph (37 mph) in second gear with manual changes. The action starts at the 5:05 mark, and it easily shows the age difference between the Q50 and Stinger GT. Then, from 7:55, it's time for the digs where – again – the liftback asserts its supremacy!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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