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Just as the B&B suspected, the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge is indeed powered by a twin-turbo V6, and it comes from the Nissan GT-R. With all-wheel drive and a 7-speed gearbox (of an unspecified nature), the Eau Rouge should blast to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. Can’t outshine its big brother, can it?
42 Comments on “Geneva 2014: Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Gets A GT-R Heart Transplant...”
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The waiting is now starting at all Infiniti dealers. Infiniti finally made something that is more then just a renamed Nissan. They were starting to look like Nissan’s Pontiac.
Not big on facts eh? Just hyperbole?
Armada = QX56,QX80
Pathfinder = JX35, QX50
Even the G20 was a re-badged Sentra.
Go back 10 years its even more apparent. I would say Infiniti does have a little better reliability and offers a better dealer network. It’s all about salesmanship and repackaging. Nissan’s Pontiac.
Incorrect.
The G20 was the Euro market Primera. It was an entirely different platform than the Sentra.
What of the J30? Was there a Nissan equivalent?
What of the M30?
What of the 02-05 M?
What of the 06 – current M35/45/56/Q70?
What of the G35 sedan?
How about the Q45?
Do you have ANY idea what you’re talking about?
J30 was a Maxima. I bought a 96 for my wife and a 97 for myself. Wonderful, fast, reliable, cars. The other cars you mention are unique to Infiniti (well at least excluded from Nissan USA).
In any case, that engine bay is gorgeous.
Yes some Infiniti’s autos are unique to their brand and hold there own against other luxo brands. But many are just restyled Nissan’s. Hence the Chevrolet to Pontiac comparo. Infiniti even knew the European’s would not be friendly to a re-badged Nissan.
Most of the above had a Nissan equivalent in Japan but not the USA.
M30 and J30 were Leopards
G35 was the JDM Skyline
Even the fancy Maxima I30 was a Cefiro in Japan.
But the original post claiming that Infinitis are just badge engineered Nissans is pretty far off base. With the exception of the G20 and I30 the cars are on different RWD platforms than the Nissan offering in that segment. Engine technology like direct injection tends to show up on the Infinitis first also. I would argue that there is a bigger difference between Infiniti/Nissan than Audi/VW
The J30 was RWD, and in no way was a Maxima. As an owner of TWO of them and a poster on this site, it’s ridiculous you don’t know that.
Not to mention you never noticed which wheels were driving the car. Or apparently looked underneath it. Or read reviews or did research before purchase.
alsorl, then you must also claim Lexus is Pontiac. Acura is Pontiac, Audi is also Pontiac. Cadillac is Pontiac.
Cadillac isn’t Pontiac, its Oldsmobile. Lexus is Cadillac, Acura is Mercury, and Audi is in the shop
coreyDL, it just seems like Infiniti has been such a generic reworked Nissan for so many years. As in the Pontiac with different plastic bits and a badge to change there brand. Infiniti never really separated themselves away from there home brand as did VW/Audi, Chevrolet/Cadillac. But, yes a lot of the luxo brands are made up of bits and pieces of there home brand.
Ah I confused the I30 and the J30. When I said I owned two, I meant the Maxima, not the Infiniti. You know, people can make simple mistakes; and it’s not strictly necessary to respond like a d-bag.
Are not the majority of modern Infiniti (so, not including the G20) longitudinal, rear drive layout?
Based on this, calling Infiniti Nissan’s Pontiac is not really accurate. Chev/Olds/Pontiac/Buick were clear rebodies of the same platform. But a G35 bears little relation to an Altima beside the engine, if my knowledge is complete.
I drove a G20 for three years. It was a Primera.
Did you have a 1st or 2nd generation G20? The 2nd gen most definitely should have been a Nissan. So much cost cutting in terms of beam rear suspension and excessive road noise to name two should have been unacceptable for an Infiniti.
Alsorl:
No, the Q50 is a rebadged HV37 skyline and the G20 was a rebadged p10 and P11 Pulsars. The QX70/FX, QX50/EX are original vehicles using the nissan FM platform used in all rwd cars. The QX60/JX35 is an original vehicle using the same D platform as the Murano and Pathfinder.
CoreyDL:
The J30 = Y32 Nissan Leopard J Ferie
M30 = F31 Nissan Leopard
02 – 05 M = Y34 Nissan Gloria
M35/45/56/Q70 = Y50 and Y51 Nissan Fuga
G35/G37 – V35 and V36 Nissan Skyline
Q45 = G50 Nissan President, Y33 Nissan Cima, or F50 Nissan Cima
J30 is also the Nissan internal code for the 3rd generation Nissan Maxima.
The QX80/Q56 is a Y62 Nissan Patrol
Now THIS makes the G….er…Q, whatever…interesting! If it goes into production, I wonder what pricing would be because it could be an AMG/M/RS killer.
I hope they don’t use ER as their performance line. It’s not a good name, and it doesn’t make for good initials across the back of the car.
Q’ER?
I remember G35 first appeared at Detroit autoshow. The interior is still the same today as if there is a padded continum to the touchable surfaces. It as if Lazy-Boy helped in design.
Nissan & Infiniti garner much (deserved) crap, but you can’t argue with the VQ engine family and the FM platform. Doubt this was _quite_ “Plug’n’Play”, especially considering cooling requirements and packaging the turbos, so good for Infiniti.
Not actually a VQ, strictly speaking. But yeah, this makes the most sense of the various rumors, and ties in to the floated “Infiniti GT-R” talk of a few years ago.
I mean, it’s nice and all, and I am glad they found another home for the VR38DET (and for the family photo that could include a GT-R, Juke-R, and this, where is the QX70 with this, please oh god please…)
But who is actually buying this? No, I don’t want one of the Germans (M5 is too BMW, RS6 is too douchey, and the C65AMG is just too much), or the Jag (just too good looking), or the Lexus (too Toyota), or the Acura, or even the Caddy. I want an Infiniti, but I want the conspicuous consumption version with the GT-R Engine so all my G37 bros will be hella jelly.
Or maybe its a DD if you own the GT-R? Because you wouldn’t just, you know, DD the GT-R?
I wouldn’t buy one of these, but I’d totally DD a GT-R if I had one, just for the “point and mouth drop” factor. I’ve still only seen about a dozen of them on the roads since they’ve come out.
People don’t have to actually buy them, it just has to show up on magazine covers with INFINIZILLA!!!! plastered all over the article to give Infiniti back its street cred. When the G35 came out it had the best hp/$ ratio in the entry level luxury segment and was touted as the budget 3 series. In the last few years Lexus seems to have decided they want to be the Japanese BMW and threw down the IS-F followed by a long line of F-sport badged overpriced appearance package for the rest of the models. These seems to be a popular trend in luxury today, S-line, V-sport, M-sport. Infiniti tried it with IPL but it didn’t have anything to back it up. So back to the point, they don’t need to sell the car, they just need the car to sell the lucrative sport (appearance) packages.
The Lexus F-sport models are more than just an appearance package.
The GT-R is FWD, right? Related to the Pathfinder?
Yep, just as surely as you’re related to Vanilla Ice.
I’m with you. Never mind the fact that it’s going to make the GT-R’s dynamic issues worse (weight, height, nose heaviness). It’s the performance sedan for people who value magazine times over feel and dynamics. A true Infiniti GT-R in the worst ways possible.
There’s a guy down the street here who DDs his GT-R. Drops off his kid at daycare, drops off his wife at work, then commutes to his workplace. 5 days a week. I know because I hear him at 8am every morning.
I feel like the snark was lost in the typing.
Despite Porsche’s ad campaign to the contrary, I think the GT-R is easily the best DD supercar out there today. Meaning a good chunk of the market for this car is already driving Gojira.
No way. A Carerra S costs less (!!!), is better equipped (!!!!), cheaper to operate and maintain (!!!), better balanced (!!!!), more practical (!!!!) better looking, better sounding, and not much slower in a straight line. The GT-R is faster but it’s not like the 911 is exactly “slow”… and what you gain in speed you literally lose in everything else
Would this car have the same crappy fake steering as the normal Q50 that was recalled?
Moreover, does it have the same cheap feeling interior. I think this thing will have a hard time competing against the M3/C63 etc… if it has the build quality of the standard car. The new Q50s are nice cars, but their materials are definitely a notch or two below others cars in their price range, even at their current price points. This thing will be hopelessly uncompetitive with the $20k+ they will probably add on when it goes on sale.
I can’t believe anyone would get excited over this car without knowing the price. Maybe a fun lease at best…Any manufacturer can build a car that will go 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, that is far from determining value or a enjoyable driving experience… Jeez, if people really care about having a stupid acceleration time, just buy a used S4 and bring it to APR with 10K in hand…You’ll have your sub 4 second 0 to 60 time and a MUCH better overall vehicle…without the absolutely ironic “eau rouge” french name which would imply an appreciation for things besides raw power… still waiting for an exciting product from infinti.
They patched the steering software but it doesn’t look like Car & Driver felt it was good enough. Infinity’s response was to put lighter weight wheels and softer tires.
” TEST NOTES: This car suffered a rare skidpad spinout. The steering is atrocious.”
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-infiniti-q50s-test-review
So in effect, what we are seeing here is the 2014/2015 Nissan Skyline GTS-4.
This is the real 4DSC . If this thing prices for 70k or below starting, i will be the first in line to lease it and kiss Goshen’s hand.
I dont understand the hate? When they dropped a corvette’s LS engine in a caddy, people creamed their pants..
Hell, they put LS in a Buick!
So why are we complaining about a good engine being put into a potential douchy but comfy luxury car?
Comparing it as a value to performance ratio of a BMW is silly. Skylines, GT-R’s, BMW’s M’s, Audi S-line are all fanboi cars.
People buy them out of personal preference.
Crtics said the Prosche Panamera would flop…. Here we are.
I don’t have any hate for it, I’m just not sure that from an overall product line perspective what they have done makes the most sense in the G vs. the M (Q50 vs. Q70). I have no doubt it would go like stink (if it gets built). But will it weigh ~4000 pounds? And what will it cost? Do the same stuff to the Q70 and it seems like you’d have a bitchin’ M5/E63 competitor. Cresting 2 tons there wouldn’t be a big deal. Not being the most exciting vehicle dynamically would put it on equal footing with those larger luxo-rockets. You could price it more appropriately one size up.
Making a boosted AWD car with launch control roar to 60 in a hurry isn’t a challenge. Making it as fun to drive as the next M3 that might weigh 700 pounds less could be a problem. And making a more luxurious 4 door GTR that needs to cost significantly less than the donor vehicle just seems off. Q70R at $80K+ seems more fitting for the market.
I don’t think people think the Q50 is douchey, just misdirected. When caddy got an LS wasn’t their chassis considered almost best in class, Sigma architecture and all? That definitely isn’t the case here. And people who buy S4, M3 aren’t all fanbois, many of them just have way more money than most of us, and don’t mind paying for something more fun. You shouldn’t confuse the people who rant about cars online with the people who actually write 70-80K checks and drive them away new off the lot.
I stand corrected. johnny_5.0, jettaGL. I was
But I feel the opposite, Nissan/Infiniti are onto something here. Even if its not a direct M-series competitor.
When the G35 came out, the opinion was close, but not good enough to fight BMW.
They came the G37 and people took it more seriously as a 3 series alternative.
So what I’m getting at is, this Q50 with a GTR engine, no matter if it fails or succeed due to price/weight/driving dynamics, etc. will be a stepping stone.
as for the fanboi comment. true, thats hatorade on my end. I’m envious. Like Phatcow said, the 4DSC, I used to own a 02 Maxima, which I viewed as the poor man’s Bimmer/Audi…. 75% of the performance, @ 60% of the cost…. cuz that’s all I could afford. :)