The Infiniti Q50 might be the car with the most powertrains of its class in America. The Japanese automaker's most popular sedan just received a raft of upgrades that will make the competition envious. We knew about the 400 horsepower twin-turbo V6 already. However, there's now a cheaper version rated at 300 hp in addition to a 2-liter turbo.
At 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, the Q50 Red Sport 400 will be the most powerful non-performance sedan in the class (so don't compare it to the C63 and the M3). At the Chicago Auto Show, Infini has also unveiled a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that sits below it. Offering "only" 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, the unit has been dubbed the 3.0t and will replace the old 3.7-liter.
The final new engine is fitted to the Q50 2.0t and delivers 208 horsepower with 258 lb-ft of grunt. If that sounds familiar, it's because the Mercedes CLA 250 has the same engine. The interesting fact is that you can have these turbo engines with a rear- or all-wheel drive system.
For the next model year, the Q50 keeps its old hybrid powertrain, which carries over with a 3.5-liter V6 matched to a 50 kW electric motor for a combined output of 360 horsepower. The big difference is that it's no longer the most powerful car in the range.
Available this spring, the Q50 Red Sport 400 will come with an all-new Dynamic Digital Suspension, new, rack-mounted electronic power steering or an updated version of Infiniti's controversial Direct Adaptive Steering. We think the new engines will completely change the company's image, especially when they become available on the QX70 (the old FX).
"We are completely transforming the Infiniti model lineup this year with all-new models like the QX30 and Q60 sports coupe, major makeovers such as the QX60, and cutting-edge powerplants like the Q50's three all-new turbocharged engines," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Randy Parker. "We can't think of a better venue to showcase our major product renaissance than the Chicago Auto Show, which attracts more than one million visitors annually."
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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