It feels like an understatement to say that things aren’t great at Infiniti right now from a product perspective. With the brand’s compact crossovers bowing out soon with no immediate replacement, new cars are seriously needed. How about one that promises fun? That’s right, Infiniti is reportedly working on a new Q50, one that brings back something missing from the Infiniti lineup since 2015.
It’s easy to forget that Infiniti was absolutely crushing it in the 2000s, and the G35 walked up to the E46 BMW 3 Series and gave it a fat lip on picture day. A standard 3.5-liter V6 with outputs ranging from 260 horsepower in early sedans to 298 horsepower in later Rev Up models, a notchy six-speed manual transmission, available reclining rear seats in sedans, a capable chassis for the time with multi-link suspension at all four corners and intensive use of aluminum arms, and a base price that undercut the German competition. I actually owned a G35 sedan with a six-speed manual and it was a blast, and now the brand seems willing to channel some of that greatness.
Automotive News reports that a next-generation Q50 was teased by the brand at a dealer convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and not only is it on-track for a 2027 arrival, it’s sticking to a classic formula, and I’m not just talking about the claim that “Infiniti teased the low-slung model in a video that revealed a swoopy profile, slender headlights and Skyline-styled circular taillights,” because what’s allegedly under the hood is stuff we’re all familiar with:
According to people familiar with the vehicle, the Q50 will switch to rear-wheel drive and be offered with a manual transmission. A Red Sport performance trim is being considered.
“The new Q50 is a visceral car with a twin-turbo that screams,” one of the people said. “It’s not practical, but it is fun.”
Offering a row-your-own gearbox would make a ton of sense considering the FM platform has already offered the VR30DDTT three-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and a six-speed manual transmission in the Nissan Z, and a 2019 SEMA build by Concept Z Performance found that Nissan’s CD009 six-speed manual gearbox pretty much bolts up to a late-model Infiniti Q60. With nothing else in the segment this side of a BMW M3 or Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing offering a stick-shift, it would be a unique selling point for Infiniti.
However, just because it sounds like Infiniti is cooking with leftovers doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of adding a bit of kick to the seasoning mix. A source told Automotive News that “the Q50’s engine could be tweaked to deliver more than 450 hp,” a spicy number that would put the next Q50 closer to the V8-powered Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance on output and keep it competitive against German rocketships like the BMW M340i and Audi S4.
Of course, there’s still some trepidation to be had here, because by 2027, the components purportedly underneath would be really old. Could a new car on what would then be a 26-year-old platform with an eleven-year-old engine be good? Well, with the right tuning and steering hardware, it might be. An original G35 is still a fun car to drive, whereas the softer previous-generation Q50 lost a good chunk of its grandfather’s immediacy while gaining optional and unwelcome steer-by-wire that was originally mandatory on the fastest trims.
If the next Infiniti Q50 is to be a hit, it’ll need to stick to the formula that made the G35 successful: performance, value, and luxury, in that order. Infiniti doesn’t really have the hardware to compete with the latest sports sedans on refinement, but it absolutely has the ingredients to beat them on thrills. I guess we’ll know in two years whether this is just a Gen X nostalgia play or the next great enthusiast sedan.
Top graphic image: Infiniti
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I had one of the first g35 coupes ever made and liked it a lot. I ended up replacing it with a 350z for various reasons, but they could have got me again when the last bodystyle came out if there’d been a manual option.
Don’t sleep on the G37 sedan. It had 328 horsepower in the 6 speed manual version.
Personally, I’d rather Infiniti bring back the NA VQ along with the manual transmission.
I’m not concerned about an old chassis, as long as it’s a good one.
You had me at RWD Manual Sedan.
The only problem with RWD is traction. How well will it hook up with 450+ hp? I’m all about RWD if you’re around 300-350. 400+ and I’d prefer AWD, especially if you’ll be seeing any of the white stuff.