Detroit auto show: Infiniti debuts high-performance Q50 Eau Rouge concept
Not content with letting German rivals have all the high-performance fun, Infiniti is hinting it may soon get into the horsepower wars with its existing Q50 compact sedan.
Nissan’s luxury arm used Tuesday’s Detroit auto show to debut to the world the Q50 Eau Rouge concept. The car is a heavily modified version of the Q50 that teases what Infiniti might use against cars like the BMW M3, Mercedes C63 AMG, and Audi RS4.
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“I think our engineers have been waiting for a project like this,” Johan de Nysschen, president of Infiniti, said in a statement. While no powertrain specifics were announced, he imagined such a car from Infiniti probably would be plenty powerful, courtesy of turbocharging or supercharging.
“If we built this car I would expect it to feature over 500 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque,” De Nysschen said. “The engine we are evaluating for the Q50 Eau Rouge is a big personality, V-cylinder engine with forced induction.”
Such lofty numbers would put a high-performance Q50 well ahead of something like an M3 or C63. The concept sits on a wider track and features a larger rear spoiler for additional down-force. Only the front doors and roof pillars carry over with the base production model.
PHOTOS: Infiniti’s Q50 Eau Rouge concept
The car features other goodies like carbon fiber bodywork, 21-inch alloy wheels and a flat-bottom steering wheel inside. The interior also features red and carbon fiber detailing throughout.
Infiniti leveraged its considerable F1 investment and race experience in producing the Eau Rouge concept. Even the name has F1 roots: Eau Rouge is a well-known and highly technical section of track on the Belgian Grand Prix course.
Should Infiniti decide to build a production version of this Q50 concept, this would continue.
“Our involvement in Formula One provides inspiration and excellence to our designers and engineers, De Nysschen said. “Q50 Eau Rouge provides not only a glimpse of the design language, but also the performance capability of a future special series.”
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