The menacing, F1-inspired Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge was first unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, but Infiniti wisely waited until the Geneva Motor Show to reveal what exactly was lurking under that hood…
While Infiniti originally claimed a power output of “over” 500 horsepower, a video released in February hinted that power would come from a twin-turbocharged V-6. As it turned out all three points were true. The Q50 Eau Rouge is actually powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6, that produces just north of 560 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The 3.8 liter turbocharged beast is then mated to a seven-speed gearbox with all-wheel drive; a combination that should sound very familiar to even the most casual of fans of a certain Nissan supercar.
While Infiniti did not explicitly say that the V-6 and associated hardware came from the Nissan GT-R, it would be quite a coincidence if it didn’t. It seems unlikely that Infiniti would develop a similar engine on its own, when its parent is obviously not shy about transplanting it into other cars.
Infiniti says the Q50 Eau Rouge will do 0-60 mph in under four seconds and reach a top speed of around 180 mph. That would make it a proper rival for German sport sedans like the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.
However, Infiniti has no current plans to put the Eau Rouge into production, although it has said that it is committed to fielding sportier cars at some point in the relatively near future. Eau Rouge, by the way, is a section of the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium, a fixture on the annual F1 calendar.
Infiniti will reportedly use the Eau Rouge name for a performance sub brand, to help tie it to the Red Bull Racing team it sponsors.
