Test Drive: Infiniti Q60 has shark-like instincts

The Q60S is Infiniti's top of the line coup.
The Q60S is Infiniti's top of the line coup.
photo The Infiniti Q60S features Monaco Red leather.


View other Test Drive stories by Mark Kennedy



Looking for a used or new car?

Infiniti's alpha-numeric naming system can be a puzzle. Today's test car began over a decade ago as the Infiniti G35 coupe, morphed into a G37, transformed eventually into the Q40 and was later reintroduced as the Q60.

If it were my choice, I would rename it the Infiniti Tiger Shark and be done with it. Indeed it looks like a sleek, fast sea creature; a predator at the top of the food chain that can outrun - or simply devour - the competition. Our tester's Liquid Platinum color helps contribute to the marine-life illusion.

Some in the automotive press think the new Q60 has the most organic design in the segment. Meanwhile, it as been acknowledged to have one of the most refined V-6 engines in the world - in the case of our tester a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 that makes a whopping 400 horsepower and burns rubber from zero-to-60 mph in about 4.5 ticks.

Infiniti of Chattanooga on Lee Highway has about a half-dozen Q60s in digital inventory, ranging in MSRP from about $45,000 to about $53,000. Meanwhile, our top-of-the-line Q60 Red Sport tester from the manufacturer lists for $59,555, including about $8,000 in options.

Infiniti's two-door sports coupe deserves your attention. It's a consummate driver's car that can compete on equal footing alongside the BMW 4-series, Lexus RC and Cadillac ATS.

STYLING AND FEATURES

The Q60's styling is polarizing. A knowledgeable car guy in the Times Free Press newsroom told me he thinks the design is too busy, while others say they adore its sexy curves. Infiniti acknowledges the Q60's "daring curves" and "deep creases." I enjoy the low roof-line, which gives the driver a sports-car-like view of the road.

The Q60's most distinctive feature is a wide, powerful stance which hints at its Nissan Z-car roots. The fascia is marked by a tasteful double-arch grille and headlights that are designed to resemble human eyes. Infiniti says the car has a "provocative stare" which indeed can be menacing when viewed head on.

Inside, the Q60 is a riot of sophisticated surface materials and tasteful colors. Our tester is equipped with striking Monaco Red leather seats. The front buckets are deeply bolstered and made with Nissan's famous "zero gravity" technology, for long-haul comfort. As often happens with sports coupes, the back seats are largely ornamental.

A stitched dashboard is sewn together using laser-cut holes for a perfect fit. The interior is also garnished with silver optic fiber trim for a high-dollar look. A flat-bottom, three-spoke steeling wheel helps deliver the G60's drive-by-wire steering dynamics to the driver.

The dash has lots of push-button controls, which require a steeper learning curve than dials. A scroll of native apps controls the car's telematics functions. Analog gauges for the tachometer and speedometer are oversized and, consequently, easy to read.

Luxury touches on our Q60 Red Sport include an $1,800 technology package that has intelligent cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, automatic-leveling headlights and high-beam assist. Another $2,250 brings a basket of safety-tech gear such as blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors and backup collision control. Navigation, heated seats and remote start are bundled in second, $2,250 option package.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

Q60 drivers have two engine options: a Mercedes-Benz derived four-cylinder powerplant that makes 208 horsepower, and a turbo-charged V-6 engine available in two flavors, 300hp and 400hp.

We'll have the 400 please, please.

Driving dynamics settings seem almost infinite. Infiniti counts 336 ways the Q60 can be dialed in. The main settings are Standard, Snow, ECO, Sport, Sport plus and Personal. Within each category are sub-settings that can be fine-tuned even more.

The sweetest feature of the Q60 Red Sport is its luxurious twin-turbocharged V-6 with direct injection and advanced turbo-blade design. Unleash this puppy during your afternoon commute on Corridor J and you'll be home in a flash. Power seems almost limitless and arrives like a kick to your britches. During several days of Chattanooga-area driving, I never tired of making other motorists disappear in the Q60 Red Sport's rear-view mirror.

The Q60s direct adaptive steering may be the wave of the future. It basically removes the mechanical linkage between the steering column and the front wheels. Time will tell if drivers like the sensation, but we honestly didn't notice much difference from a conventional set-up. Overall, steering in the Q60 is light and responsive.

BOTTOM LINE

Infiniti is flooding the zone this month with advertising for its excellent Q50 sports sedan, but if its a sporty driving experience you crave, don't forget to take a look at Q60 coupe with its distinctive styling and mechanical sophistication.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

Upcoming Events