Hidden Agenda

What we like:

Build quality

Insane performance and styling

What we dislike:

Infotainment’s user interface could be better designed

Under the hood, the Q60S is powered by their award-winning VR30DDTT 3.0 V6 (also found in its Q50S Red Sport sister car), all-aluminium unit, with one turbocharger feeding each cylinder bank, and twin water pumps for optimum cooling. We did say all-aluminium, meaning that in-place of commonly installed steel liners for better cylinder wall wear resistance, which in-turn takes up some weight, the new engine relies on a mirror bore coating, which lowers friction by a claimed 40%. Other features of the engine’s efficient design, sees an integrated exhaust manifold, used in-place of traditional ones made either of steel or cast iron, making the new V6 compact, lighter and more efficient. The Nissan GTR engine is also related to the Infiniti’s, though made in separate plants.

With all that said, the Red Sport delivers a massive 400hp at 6,400rpm, but what is more impressive is how the V6 is able to keep that 475Nm torque tap generously open from 1,600rpm to 5,200rpm. A very large sweet spot! Delivery of the drive comes to you with a firm push into the seat, and you would only need to half-throttle the car to understand its potential.

Power to the wheels is by way of a seven-speed automatic which utilises Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), which works by using a lateral acceleration sensor to detect changes in road conditions, such as bends and hills, with all information fed back to ensure optimum gear selection. Additionally, the ASC also observes driver behaviour, and adapts accordingly.

Unlike its European counterparts, the Q60S is a rather quiet car, offering no rumble or pops from the exhaust, in-fact the car is a true sleeper, silently and smoothly performing, delivering a 5.4 second century sprint.

We also quickly learnt that the Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) is a very sensitive and delicate thing, minute adjustments from centre sets the car following in the direction steered, but once you adapt to the quick steering, you can truly appreciate how accurate and razor-sharp the car really is.

The Q60S soaks up the bumps on the road very well when driven normally. There is enough of play in the Dynamic Digital Suspension, allowing for you to cruise comfortably, while the added grunt needed is just a pedal stab away.

Flick the drive mode to Sport+, and immediately, the steering feels weighted, and the suspension stiffens up, but not in a rock-hard manner, and there is still some play allowed. Ride quality is firm, but never jarring. The Red Sport becomes more responsive throttle-wise, and you would also soon realise that your placement in the car is quite ideal, especially with some tighter corners, where you could provoke the rear to step out just a little; while being in the centre of all that fun!

The all-important traction control keeps the Red Sport on the road, even with heavy-footed me behind the wheel, helping with the reduction of power to selected drive wheels, in the event that the car senses a snap-out going to happen around tighter bends, or when you try to (over) give it the beans. Turning it off, sets the car loose, giving you white-knuckle performance, demanding surgically accurate throttle and steering inputs.

The 2.0 we tested previously looks identical, and has just the right amount of car for many, who want a coupe with good performance. The Red Sport, which essentially boasts twice the power, while it still can be driven as a daily driver, is seriously built for those who want to go all out for plenty-a-lot-of performance.

At about $30k less than say a BMW 440i Coupe, and about $55k less than the Audi S5 Coupe, the Infiniti could certainly be a veiled dark horse. We certainly have plenty of respect for how the Japanese manufacturer had delivered.

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