looks like a 6/4 BBK behind those wheels

 

And these are the 21" BBS Wheels that were built "exclusively" for the FX Vettel Edition. Hope the hood has a reason behind its bulge!

 

If they pulled another IPL on this one, it will be an epic fail. Look at the brakes, look at the aerodynamics, look at the sportiness...if it has the same engine it will be a BIG waste of time, especially since they are trying to push F1.

 

I personally think with the size of those brakes, there must be more power under that hood. If not, then IGGy37s is right....waste. I hope not.

 

I'll take a stab at some speculation here. I noticed in examining the renderings that have been released so far that it appears to have a Brembo 6 piston caliper in the front and rear. Also visible were cross-drilled, 2-piece rotors. These brakes mean business and look to be pulled from the GT-R parts bin, which brings me to the next standout.

Hood scoops. Judging from what I remember hearing Infiniti execs (I believe Johan de Nysschen) say over the summer that we'd see a high-powered V6 at some point, I would be willing to bet their functional, ala GT-R.

The IPL line has sucked so far. BMW has had the M line, Mercedes has AMG, Lexus has the F line, Audi has the S cars, and Infiniti has played around with IPL. All of the previous 4 are serious competitors to each other. I think judging by what the others have, Infiniti needs to do something to make IPL a formidable competitor. This car could be the first of those efforts.

I would not be surprised at all to see a detuned (slightly) version of the VR38DETT with ≈ 450hp/400tq. If they can stuff it in a Juke, they can certainly do it with a Q50. If this includes the GT-R's GR6 transmission with AWD, this car would be a serious contender in blowing the competition out of the water. The GT-R makes some amazing numbers for how heavy the car is. Seeing the rear and exhaust may give some further clues as to what may be lurking under the hood.

It would be cool to see them throw and extra cog or two in there. There's also been some speculation that the R36 platform may go to a hybrid setup but I don't think they'd go that route on this car. That would certainly be a way to wring some more sales volume out of the GT-R platform to recoup some more development costs.

Either way, this car is not what's been the typically mild IPL treatment. Looks like they mean business with this concept if it makes it to production but I can't see why it wouldn't. De Nysschen's seems to have ambitious plans for Infiniti and I'm sure when he arrived in June of 2012, he laughed at IPL and hopefully, this is the solution to that.

At any rate, the speculation and prognostication is always fun. Thoughts, comments? What do you guys think?

 

What I think is that if it has any performance upgrades worth having, it will completely miss the overwhelming majority of owners here. We have already gotten to the point in the life cycle of the G/Q to where there certainly seem to be many more used ones being purchased than new ones, at least judging by new members joining our forum Typically younger buyers who likely lack the income to buy a more expensive car. Obviously not everyone, but that seems where we're headed. If this is a performance model that makes it to production, it's going to cost significantly more. A lot of people complained that the Q50 was too expensive. Adding upgraded brakes, body panels, suspension, and engine is going to put it in GTR price tag territory. That's a whole different consumer. Only a handful of us would be in the demographic for it if it has the upgrades a lot of people think it will or should have.

Be careful what you wish for...

 

Now that the G37 is on its last legs as a current model car, members will only get younger, BB. Soon enough, the phrase "That's sick, bro!" will be the norm, and your opinions will be dismissed offhand because you old as ****.

Accept it and roll with it, man. On the bright side, it's still an upscale brand, and that slows the decline. Doesn't stop it, but... Meh. Is what it is.

 

Members of this forum will get younger, sure. But the buyers of the G37 replacement I think will just get older. Its ashame if that happens, really, since I bought my G to replace my old i30 that made me feel like I was 55 years old (being 30 at the time). The Q will give me some of those feelings back again. Might make a great car for the wife though (Ill be looking at one shortly, in her context it is just fine, but when optioned out Im in the territory of lots of other options)

As such, older buyers = less performance oriented and more luxury. Hence the Q50. Yeah they kept it RWD based, but looking at reviews seem to make it out to be a luxurified G37, which most here did not want. Will the Eau Rouge be a big deal? Maybe, but Im seriously doubting it. And like BB said, if they make it the way *we* want it, it will be an $80K+ car. Which removes another one of the good qualities of the G: great performance vs price ratio.

Im sure smarter people at Infiniti know what they're doing. Unfortunately they probably couldnt care less about what the G enthusiasts on this forum think.

My vote for the Eau Rouge drivetrain is a carry over of the IPL setup from the coupe. GT-R everything in a 4 door would be awesome, but would we really want to pay for it is the question

 

GTR drivetrain in Q50? Would you buy it? Yes. wholeheartedly yes. Here's the deal, it's supposed to cost around 100 million yen, which is what a C63 goes for in Japan. From a numbers point of view, it makes perfect sense. The C63, M4, RS4 all make around 480hp. The GTR is pushing 545 (and is very, very easily tuned). If they sold the Eau Rouge at $90k fully loaded, you can bet your *** off that people would buy it. A fully loaded C63 is already pushing $85+ (with the 507 edition package). Even with the weight advnatage of the GTR (Q50 is about 200-250lbs heavier), if the Q50ER did 90% of what the GTR does, you're talking performance figures of 0-60mph in 3 seconds. That's absolutely insane.

It may turn into a halo performance car for Infiniti, but I still stand by the fact that because it's called the Eau Rouge (which has seemingly no ties to Infiniti as a brand) it's going to be some random one off with just a slight bump in power. I think everyone is optimistic about a high-performance V6TT being thrown in.

 

No matter what you believe NO-ONE is buying a 90K infiniti ahead of a 70k M3 - I purchased a fully loaded E92 M3 for 70k out the door. There's no way in hell I'd even consider a 90k infiniti ahead of a C63, M3 or Audi RS models. Quite honestly that's M5 RS7 types of money and trust me if you've ever shopped for a used Audi RS and see how well they hold their value there's no way you'd consider an infniti.

Look I love Infiniti but its for the VALUE that they offer not because I think they're the best of whats out there. Seriously, go sit in the new Lexus IS or an Audi S4 and you'll see just how much furhter Infiniti has to go in terms of interior quality and refinement.

 

Sorry, for $90K I would not be buying a Q50. Just like the $50K loaded priced for a Q50 opens up a whole other list of options, $90K opens up an even bigger list. And on that list are proven performers, not a new platform that doesnt seem to be as "sporty" as the platform it replaced.

And wouldnt it be funny if the new drivetrain they bring is a result of their co-op with Mercedes? What if they use the exact same engine thats in the CLA45? its almost a 30HP bump, and presumably better mpg since its a 4 banger. Everyone angry that they re-used the 3.7L should be happy, right?

Im as big an Infiniti fan as a lot of people on this forum, but it feels like they are trying to "play with the big boys" while bringing a Q50 to a gun fight.

 

My formula for buying cars is: find a car you like and can afford to buy new, then buy one a few years old used.

So that means no European cars until there is any credible evidence they are reliable. There isn't. Maybe Porsches, but I need a back seat for my kids and I cannot afford a Panamera new, so no Panamera used (which I could stretch into financially). No way I a driving a BMW, Audi or Merc out of warranty. For me, the Japanese are the big boys. They make an all around superior product for real people in the real world. The Euro cars are just too junky for what they cost to consider. I guess if I had a small business and could lease one pre-tax and only drive it under warranty it would be OK.

So...IF this came in closer to maybe 55-60k new...then maybe I would consider one in a few years used. I toyed with getting an IS-F when I got this car, but it was too hard to find a good one. I fear the same for this car...going to be rare.

 

IMO the smart people are the ones that built the IPL line, a trim that offers not much substance but still sold with a premium price tag.

Recently speaking, most of Nissan's performance lines (SE-R, Nismo, IPL) typically involve body kits, higher spring rates, and a slightly better exhaust. This plan seems to be working OK, so there probably aren't too many reasons for Nissan deviate from it. If they do, I'm sure Nissan has folks that recognize which risks are healthy and which ones aren't, because pricing it in the ///M or RS league will probably end the line quickly.

The indicators do make it seem like Nissan is stepping it up, but the "eau rouge" tag, along with the renderings, makes me think it will be kind of a show piece thing, not for broader consumption (only one way to find out).

 

Anyone know the sales figures for the Q since launch? I'm guessing they're quite a bit below expectations since I see many more Qs sitting on Infiniti lots than I did Gs a year ago. I also noticed pretty low lease deals for such a new model. I'm sure the Eau Rouge will help a bit to get the Q design into peoples' thoughts and if they market it properly they may broaden the Qs appeal. For those of us that really want to see a true performance difference in the flagship model hopefully it won't fall short like the IPL.

 

Not sure about since launch, but Nov: 5,891 units, Dec: 4,568 units

As far as the IPL people being smart: yer right! as long as you are looking at it from Nissans POV When I was picking up my LE sedan they had an IPL in the showroom..my sales guy was saying how Infiniti wants to take on M series, AMG, etc. and that the IPL would do it. I laughed and asked how they expected a little more than 20 extra HP and $10K would do it. He must have already drank the KoolAid because he didnt find that funny.

I think the truth is if they want to take those on, they will throw away the value aspect of the G/Q50. And I maintain once you price yourself like the others, your vehicle needs to stand out that much more. So far Im not seeing the Q50 do that (2014 Infiniti Q50 Forum forum is an interesting read....turns out there seem to be some issues with the electronic steering, especially in the cold weather)