GT-R-powered Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge may be headed for production

By Stephen Edelstein April 22, 2014

Infiniti doesn’t normally garner much buzz from performance-car enthusiasts, but that changed when it unveiled the Q50 Eau Rouge concept at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.

Shoving the powertrain of a Nissan GT-R into a luxury sedan is a great way to get attention, and it begs the obvious question: Will Infiniti build it?

Infiniti says the car is still under evaluation, but a source close to the project said the Q50 Eau Rouge has been confirmed for production.

The source told Auto Express that the project has gained enough inertia that “it would take more to stop the car getting made than to start things.”

That’s good news for car buyers, who might enjoy the option of a GT-R with usable back seats. The Eau Rouge uses the same 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 as Godzilla, with 560 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.

Channeling that power through Infiniti’s own all-wheel drive system, the Eau Rouge can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds, and reach a top speed of 180 mph.

Those numbers aren’t wild guesses, either. Formula 1 champion – and Infiniti Director of Performance – Sebastian Vettel has already taken the Eau Rouge for a spin at the Millbrook Proving Ground in England.

Infiniti is heavily promoting its sponsorship of the Red Bull Racing F1 team – Eau Rouge is actually the name of a corner on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit – and a production version of this super Q50 would put that relationship to good use.

Because when it comes to high-performance luxury sedans, why should the Germans have all of the fun?

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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