Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept gets boosted at Geneva

The Infiniti Eau Rouge concept has received a boost in performance since the Detroit auto show. A 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 mated with a seven-speed gearbox now sits underhood. That engine seems mighty familiar. All of it will be placed on an AWD platform, making for a hyper-high-performance sports sedan.

“Building on the extremely positive feedback on the Q50 Eau Rouge at its recent Detroit auto show launch, we decided to further whet the appetite of performance sports sedan fans by engineering this powerful heart into our blood-red beast,” said Johan de Nysschen, president of Infiniti Motor Co.

The 24-valve six-pot will utilize a 50/50 split torque AWD system that will carry the Q50 Eau Rouge up to 60 mph in less than four seconds with top speed coming in around 180 mph. The Eau Rouge is capable of producing 560 hp with 442 lb-ft of torque.

“A car with such pronounced styling treatments demands the very best in terms of high-performance powertrains, which is why we installed the V6 twin-turbocharged, seven-speed combination as an example of what a potential powertrain for the Q50 Eau Rouge may look and sound like,” de Nysschen said.

Production for the Eau Rouge super-sport sedan has not yet been confirmed, but with the recent upgrades, it is moving right along in the process to becoming a reality.

The Q50 sports sedan is also gaining some boost with a new turbocharged four-pot under the hood. As for performance numbers, the 2.0-liter will be capable of 211 hp with 236 lb-ft of torque, while putting power to the road through a seven-speed automatic.

The first stop for the Q50 sports sedan will be China in the spring, then to Europe in the autumn. It won't reach the global market until the end of the year.

Infiniti projectes that the Eau Rouge could reach a top speed of 180 mph.

By Brad Wiley