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Infiniti super sedan to take on M5? “I’d love to see that,” says local PR head

Cars such as the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 have long held positions at the top of the super-sedan table. But what if Infiniti laid down the law to these European powerhouses?


Speaking to CarAdvice at the local launch of the new twin-turbo V6-powered 2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0tt (pictured below), Infiniti Cars Australia corporate communications general manager Peter Fadeyev said he’d love to see the premium Japanese brand compete in that very space.

“I’d personally love to see that,” Fadeyev said. “It would be very exciting.”

Discussing the potential of an extreme, high-performance variant of the four-door Q50 – perhaps one teaming the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 poweplant from a Nissan GT-R with the new Q50 3.0tt’s rear-wheel-drive layout – Fadeyev couldn’t help but smile.

“Infiniti as a premium brand has always had a performance edge or a performance emphasis in the cars that it’s developed and sold. And with that, the idea of a more performance-oriented car beyond this one sits comfortably with me, and I know with many enthusiasts who’ve contacted us.”

Keeping all cards expectedly close to his chest, Fadeyev told CarAdvice, “I’d love to, personally, see that, and the company always has a variety of options it’s looking at for future product planning.

“All I can say is watch this space.”

Although the 418kW/600Nm, all-wheel-drive, GT-R-powered Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept (pictured above) unveiled at the 2014 Detroit auto show was killed off for production in late 2015, there was talk of other potential alternative approaches from the brand, such as high-output diesel engines or lightweight specials.

It’s also worth noting the range of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG engines that could be shared with the premium Japanese marque via Infiniti’s alliance with Daimler – engines such as the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, which generates 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque in the AMG GT S and 375kW and 700Nm in the new Mercedes-AMG C63 S.

Teaming a seven-speed automatic transmission with 298kW of power and 475Nm of torque, the rear-wheel-drive 2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0tt Red Sport is priced from $79,900 (before on-road costs).

Still short of the Eau Rouge’s outputs, the twin-turbo Red Sport is currently the closest fans of the Infiniti brand can get to the likes of the $230,615 BMW M5 (423kW/680Nm), outgoing $250,540 Mercedes-AMG E63 S (430kW/800Nm), and previous-generation $222,075 Jaguar XFR-S (404kW/680Nm).

What do you think? Should Infiniti take the fight to the world’s best super sedans? Let us know in the comments section below.

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