The Infiniti Q50 and Q60 had a short-lived career in Australia, after Nissan’s luxury arm pulled out of our market in 2020. Now we hear there is a new model in the works.
Based on the JDM Nissan Skyline, the Q50 in particular could be something of a used car bargain, with its VR30DDTT generating 298kW and 475Nm in the Red Sport model. One oft-cited criticism of that car was its inert and artificial steer-by-wire system.
International reports are suggesting a RWD, combustion-engined version of the Q50 sedan is set to return, and with a six-speed manual. According to an Automotive News report, the sedan is set to make a comeback some time in 2027.
A reprisal of the VR30DDTT is mooted as the flagship powertrain, as featured in the Nissan Z, but the row-your-own gearbox is the headline-grabbing act here for several reasons. Firstly, the previous Q50 did feature a manual gearbox in four-cylinder form overseas, but never with the hottest engine. Secondly, this is an about-face by Nissan, who had intended to replace the Q50 with an EV.
The new car was apparently shown at a dealer conference in Las Vegas, with one attendee saying: “The new Q50 is a visceral car with a twin-turbo that screams. It’s not practical, but it is fun.”
If it comes to Australia it will be one of the few remaining manual medium executive sedans this side of an M3. Considering the shuttering of the Infiniti brand, however, we may have to rely on JDM imports to sample this car, much the same way some Lexus IS 500’s have found their way to our shores.
Last year, as a send-off for the platform, the Nissan Skyline NISMO was launched with 309kW, Recaro seats, suspension upgrades and some serious aero. Infiniti has walked back its full-EV plans in the wake of a changing geopolitical landscape.
We’ve created these AI-generated images to help us imagine what the new model could look like.
