To be released at the Geneva Car Show in March!
No official details have been released regarding the Q50’s powertrain yet, but it is scheduled to be detailed in full at the forthcoming Geneva motor show in March.
Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen said, however, that if the car were to make production he would expect it to have around 493 bhp and 600 lb ft of torque.
“The engine we are evaluating for the Q50 Eau Rouge is a big personality, V-cylinder engine with forced induction. I think our engineers have been waiting for a project like this,” he said.
Infiniti says the car exhibits its design vision for future high-performance models, with its design being inspired by “muscularity, refinement, and understated performance intent”.
The car also features heavily revised aerodynamics, which “draw inspiration” from the collaboration between Infiniti and the Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 team.
Much of the exterior has been redesigned in order to optimise the car’s aerodynamics. The Q50 Eau Rouge is lower and wider, and features a carbonfibre front splitter, rear diffuser and side skirts.
The manufacturer claims that, as a result, only the roof and door profiles remain unchanged from the conventional production version of the Infiniti Q50.
Other upgrades include 21-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels and a dual-exit sports exhaust system, further hinting at the Q50’s performance-orientated intentions. Both the roof and door mirrors are also formed from carbonfibre, reducing weight.
Infiniti’s executive design director, Alfonso Albaisa, said: “The design has a number of distinctive Formula One inspired touches. In particular, the sculpted front wing assembly and the rear aerodynamic packaging take their cues from the RB9 race car.”
In America, the standard rear-drive Q50 is offered with a 329 bhp 3.7-litre V6 coupled to a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The manufacturer claims 0-60 mph in 5.3 sec in this specification.
Buyers can also specify a 360 bhp hybrid version. It is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and a 50kW electric motor, and is capable of dispatching the 0-60 mph sprint in 4.9 sec.