Matter of opinion of course. I want to be
upfront. If you’re spending AUD$90 grand, the topline Infiniti coupe can be
yours – but if it were me and money no object then I’d willingly lash out a few
hundred dollars more on the monthly lease payment for a Jaguar F-type coupe.
I guarantee the British-bred
coupe will deliver the extra bucks in its performance delivery, its drivability
and it’s lithe alloy-bodied beauty. The Jaguar's suspension and ride quality is also way, way better than the Q60.
The smaller-engined Q60 coupe, offering the
Mercedes-Benz 2.0L turbo four is a better-balanced machine than the beefier
behemoth. The big brother is all brawn, all bells-and-whistles, and not a lot of
subtlety.
Driving on curvy, sharply undulating
regular country roads, the Q60 S bucks and dives, and just about rips your arms
off – when all the driver aids settings are on track max.
This car would be excellent on a track day, but somehow I can’t see this Infiniti being circuit bound.
This car would be excellent on a track day, but somehow I can’t see this Infiniti being circuit bound.
Interestingly, an old friend who works for
the Infiniti dealer in Hong Kong tells me the Q60 S is their biggest seller. If
you’ve ever driven in Hong Kong, you’ll know just what a ridiculous choice this
is – unless the owner is just a poseur.
The (Nissan-derived VR30DDTT) Infiniti 3.0L
twin turbo V6 pumps out 298kW (400 hp), compared to Jaguar’s 280kW (375hp),
but Jaguar’s delivery is more linear. Both drive the rear wheels, via paddle-shift transmissions. Q60 S has a 7-speed; while Jaguar's is a ZF 8-speed box.
Set the Infiniti on ‘comfort’ settings and
it’s acceptable; it’s not a car I enjoy driving with verve and brio. The
‘lane keeper’ technology tends to make the car ‘yaw’ from side to side, so I
turned it off.
One of the most annoying aspects of this
car is the poor resolution of the touchscreen/nav/entertainment/info systems.
Yes, systems.
Because, you have to navigate through three different screens –
one in front of the driver, one on top in the centre for the GPS, and the lower
one for media/Bluetooth/drivers aids etc. Talk about confusing.
There’s definite evidence this is a car
designed by ‘track boy’ engineers, who handed over the beast for its cabin
fit-out and the interior team just threw in what was on the shelf – as opposed
to integrating the systems.
As for design, all Infinitis to date were designed by Alfonso Albaisa, and quite frankly I think he’s one of those
designers who doesn’t quite know when to stop drawing ‘flourishes’.
Infiniti has recently named ex-BMW designer
Karim Habib to lead future exterior design, so expect to see a theme change. My
spies tell me Habib’s first product will be the joint Infiniti/Mercedes-Benz
compact sedan to come from the Alliance’s new Mexican plant.
All up, if you want the sort of performance
that comes from the AMG, BMW-M, Jaguar SVR models, then the Q60 S Red Sport is
a bargain – but in the valet parking lot, it doesn’t come close to the
Europeans for style, caché and sophistication.
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