NAIAS: Infiniti Q60 Concept Previews Sexy Styling, Twin-Turbo V6

bigdaddy said:

To be honest, I don't know anyone who aspires to drive an Infiniti. Not one who would put them in the same class as BMW or Mercedes. Not even the same class as Audi, Cadillac or Lexus. And the people I am talking about can buy any car they want, including Rolls or Bentley. While they aren't bad cars, they are really nothing more than a luxury Nissan. They even have the same styling cues. And the interior design of this Q60 reminds me of the previous generations Chevy Malibu or Cadillac CTS, except for the color. It is a nice car, but the world is becoming full of nice cars. IMO, Infiniti is just an also-ran in the world of luxury cars. I would definitely take a Buick Avenir over this. That is one sharp looking Buick.

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I had a G37x, but I didn't aspire to it or other brands; it was about the car for me. Compared to comparably priced Germans and the Lexus, the Infiniti was faster and roomier. Once you get a few options on the 335i it's ricidulous. Brilliant car, but unlike the media I was not taken with its interior. Better than the Infiniti sure, but not by much and certainly not based on the price premium (which was not even a few grand). I'm not a person that shops on value alone, but at the same time I don't consider it irrelevant. Same as driving a Grand Cherokee Summit or Overland next to a ML350 and LR4 and wondering why anyone would get the latter two. The Infiniti's main criticisms from my reading were the interior and refinement, neither of which were issues I had. Both seemed par for the segment in cars like the A4 2.0T Quattro or C300 4Matic that I have driven before as well. The Audi's main advantage was in the details where it distances itself from the G, 3, and C. Not an epic difference though. I do like the CTS but didn't drive one.

That Infiniti's look like Nissans is rather by design. Remember that almost all Infinitis are just rebadged Nissans from Japan. Using the old names for simplicity:

G - Nissan Skyline Sedan/Coupe
M - 03-04 Nissan Gloria, 05+ Nissan Fuga
Q - Nissan Cima/President
EX - Nissan Skyline Crossover
JX - Original Infiniti product (based on Pathfinder)
FX - Original Infiniti product
QX - <04 Nissan Pathfinder, 04-10 Nissan Armada (NA), 11+ Nissan Patrol

But Infiniti has several issues. I don't think they've been able to stand out in terms of design or marketing. Even the newest Infinitis fail to set themselves apart in any regard. I'd really like this new Q60 Concept or the QX80 (but I have no need for that much car). And frankly, while I like the tech upgrades and exterior of the new Q50, it was mostly the same basic mechanicals of my G37 without the lovely steering (so I've read). And thus I have little interest and got into something else in the interim. But a stylish Q60 with the 3.0TT? Now I'm interested. I think Infiniti has the potential to be interesting, but Lexus is now also going for the sporty, stylish Japanese luxury brand so we'll see who wins. Lexus has quite a head start in terms of volume and global presence, but both companies have deep pockets. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind the new IS350.....

sfbreh said:

I'm into new Infinitis. I liked the new M when it came out, the JX, the QX80, and more recently the Q50. The Inspiration concept I dug, and this I'm really into.

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Indeed, I too liked the new M, especially with the surprise that was the 5.6L option. I was expecting the then-new 5.0L from the FX50. With the S package they're sharp cars and to this day under-rated, although partially that's because they don't necessarily stand out much either. But I'd probably have one over the Germans. The CTS takes it easily for me though. The JX looks quite good to me too, but I can't get past the CVT and the fact that I'd just rather have an Overland or Summit. Q50 is nice too! If they get the 3.0TT in that I could give it another look. Sounds dumb, but I wanted some kind of upgrade for the VQ37. I was surprised at how powerful that 3.7L feels. It just thrums the G37 around like a Hemi Charger with a poke of the gas. Very impressive and under-rated in an age of FI 6s (irony being that I'm calling for a 3.0TT anyway). And the 7AT is swift, smooth, and responsive.