What defines a classic grand touring machine? Power, of course; luxury accommodations for sure; and sporty-yet-secure handling. Oh yes: it’s got to have classically sexy looks, all curves or angles that stand the test of time. That pretty much defines the 2021 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400, which as the name says has 400 hp nestled inside a shape that has stayed the same since 2017, and still turns heads.
Doesn’t hurt that what’s under that pearlescent white paint with carbon fiber accents is a taste, just maybe, of the upcoming Nissan 400Z.
• Infiniti has been putting on the Ritz with the Q60 since its edgy curves first appeared in 2017 to replace the G37. And while the look has been tweaked a bit since then, the basics remain and still look good, if the reaction our coupe is any example. It was a stellar seller when introduced, selling almost 11,000 in 2017. That number dropped to only 2,800 last year.
Now comes the 2021 model with carbon fiber accents. The roundly-rectangular grill retains a familiar deep and wavy mesh pattern in gloss black, Infiniti logo dead center as its upper edges flow into glaring hooded LED headlights with slash DRLs. The lower center intake is wide, with defined side blades and deep air dam, gloss carbon fiber side intakes with LED fog lights.
Sharp lines flow off the headlights to highlight upper fender and doors over rounded flanks. Flared front fenders gain bladed carbon fiber vents that flow into lower door accent lines and gently-winged sills under carbon fiber side mirrors. The long aluminum hood flows into a raked windshield and rounded roof that cascades into a fastback rear window with short deck highlighted by a carbon fiber spoiler. LED taillights slimly wrap around the corners over an aggressive glossy black lower fascia with big polished stainless steel exhaust tips.
The coupe squats nicely on aggressive 20-inch Bridgestone Potenza RE rubber on bladed 5-spoke satin silver and gloss black forged alloy wheels. Red brake calipers are visible clamping large front disc brakes, the rear rubber slightly wider under wide-shouldered fenders. At night, light glows from behind chrome-accented door handles and sills. It’s been with us awhile, but I still love the gently menacing look.
• A grand touring machine must cosset occupants in wraparound luxuriousness, with grand audio and tech seamlessly integrated into a cockpit best suited for two. And as it has for five years, the Q60 does not disappoint, although it’s familiar territory.
Leather covers the dual-cowled gray cockpit, red threads offering contrast on the sweeping dashtop, doors and seats. Sculpted bucket seats have decent bolstering, plush and supportive with 10-way power and heat, the driver’s with dual memory presets. The cowled gauge package has silver-ringed analog 180-mph speedometer and 9,000-rpm tach, framing a color display with trip computer, compass/navigation, audio, cellphone and driving/cruise control aide status.
A thick red stitched leather rim frames a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel with – surprisingly — plastic paddle shifters behind and familiar stereo, phone, smart cruise and info display buttons in front. Alloy-trimmed pedals are below.
Matte-finish gray carbon fiber subtly glows in the sun on the doors and center console, framing the inset 8-inch upper, and flush 7-inch lower touchscreens on the dashboard center stack. The stacked screens are Infiniti’s way to group all functions in one place, with navigation, 360-degree camera and weather information/map up top. The lower screen handles the Home function with access to InTouch services, climate control, apps, Bluetooth, Drive Mode info, traffic/stocks/sports/gas station info, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a clear 13-speaker Bose audio system. It works just fine. But activating the weather radar screen causes the lower display to turn off what was there. And the competition has slicker displays with higher tech.
Voice command reaction shows the age of the infrastructure, requiring a request or two to narrow navigation destination. And there’s still physical buttons for “Home,” “Climate” and “Audio” below the screens, plus a CD slot and main stereo controls. The drive mode selector lives on the gloss black part of the center console, carbon fiber on the outside curve. The twist/tap/scroll controller handles navigation and camera choice. The center armrest has storage with two USB ports, an MP3 input and a 12-volt outlet.
There’s a velvet-lined nook under a pop-up center dash door with 12-volt outlet, no space for cellphone or an inductive charging base like other GTs have. And white accent lights glow from silver strips on the doors’ carbon fiber weave over curved padded leather door pulls.
A grand touring machine should have some seating for two more, barely, and the Q60 fills that bill too. The rear seats are accessible via front seats that power forward, and offer limited room for adult-size knees. The seatback folds flat to expand a small-but-usable 8-cu.ft. trunk, the opening tight for larger suitcases.
• Now here’s the stuff that makes a GT, even if it shares its platform with the beloved and iconic Nissan 370Z.
There’s a 3-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 400-hp in our 2,100-mile-old Q60 Red Sport, more than enough. We had lots of rain during testing, but the all-wheel-drive kept the Infiniti straight under full throttle. We launched first in Eco mode, which backs off throttle and shifts, and hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with no drama off the line. We held off for drier weather and switched to Sport+, which snaps off tight shifts in the torque band with full power. We hit 60 mph in just under 4 seconds, launching hard with no wheelspin. For comparison, the 2018 model we tested in 2018 hit 60 mph in 4.6-seconds in the dry, and 100 mph in 10.6 seconds. Both are quick.
The 7-speed automatic has downshift rev-matching and gave us precise shifts in “Sport+,” plus a nice but fairly muted snarl when pushed. Mileage – an average 23 mpg during highway stints in Eco.
The car resets to “Standard” every time you turn it off, which is fine due to the good throttle response, comfortably firm suspension and nicely weighted steering feel that mode gives. We kept it there or in “Eco” in the pouring rain. But when it dried out, “Sport” mode gave tighter steering with a direct if slightly numb feel, and a firmer ride from the double wishbone front suspension, and multi-link rear suspension with electronically adjustable shock absorbers.
“Eco” was a bit softer, with comfortable damping at full rebound. Firm, with a still supple edge with tighter control was in “Sport” and “Sport+,” rebound over bumps well buffered. But even in the rain, we found superb traction and neutral cornering with great grip in turns and expressway ramps. It stayed neutral, able to cleanly power out of a turn if you modulated throttle in the rain.
Then when it dried out, the Q60 was very agile and neutral in curves, able to power through with no drama with help from all-wheel-drive and Trace Control, which applies small amounts of braking to the wheels to correct vehicle trajectory in turns. That’s when grand touring was really fun, the Q60 quite capable in the twisty bits, feeling some of its 4,047-lb. weight. It’s 58/42 front/rear weight balance never showed in any understeer as it flowed in and out of corners with maybe a hint of power oversteer if we pushed hard on exit.
We didn’t have Infiniti’s direct adaptive steering, but the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion system had decent feel at speed, still a bit light at slow velocities, with a nice tight turning radius. With 4-piston front/2-piston rear calipers, we had a firm and very controllable brake pedal with short stopping distances, minimal nose dive and no fade after repeated heavy use. For safety, smart cruise control maintains distance and speed and stops the coupe, but then the driver has to take over. There was a lane departure warning that buzzes the steering wheel if you stray, but no lane assist or blind spot intervention without the ProACTIVE option, which also had direct adaptive steering and more.
A base rear-wheel-drive Q60 PURE starts at $41,750, including twin-turbo V-6, while our all-wheel-drive Red Sport 400 started at $60,100, with leather interior and Bose sound system. Our coupe’s options included the $2,280 carbon fiber package, $1,790, 20-inch alloy wheels, $695 pearl white paint and a few others to add up to a final $67,085 with destination.
There’s still some other grand tourers out there like the $46,000 Lexus RC 350, $57,000 BMW 440i xDrive and $71,000 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 4MATIC Coupe. The Benz gets a 385-hp/3-liter V-6; Lexus a 311-hp/3.5-liter V-6; and BMW the 382-hp/3-liter inline six. The AMG hits 60-mph in 4.5 seconds, the BMW just over 4, and the Lexus closer to 6. All have more tech, stunning digital screens and great handling, the Benz and Lexus sharp in design, with the BMW having some good looks too.
• Bottom line — The Q60’s look may have been around a bit, and its tech lags behind the competition. But everybody loved Infiniti’s very sensuous coupe, and it rewarded with muscle and handling in the grand touring tradition. Now maybe we see a lighter, higher-tech version when Nissan’s new 400Z donates its bones.
2021 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400
Vehicle type – 4-seat all-wheel-drive sports coupe
Základní cena — 60,100 67,085 $ (XNUMX XNUMX $ podle testování)
Engine type — aluminum 24-valve, twin-turbocharged DOHC V-6
Displacement — 3 liters
Výkon (netto) – 400 při 6,400 XNUMX ot./min
Točivý moment (lb-ft) – 350 @ 1,600 5,200-XNUMX XNUMX ot./min.
Transmission — 7-speed automatic w/paddle shifters
Wheelbase — 112.2 inches
Celková délka – 184.4 palce
Celková šířka – 72.8 cm
Výška – 54.9 cm
Přední světlá výška – 37.9 palce
Přední prostor pro nohy – 43.1 palce
Prostor nad hlavou vzadu – 34.5 palce
Prostor pro nohy vzadu – 32.4 palce
Cargo capacity – 8.7 cu.ft.
Pohotovostní hmotnost – 4,047 XNUMX liber.
Fuel capacity — 20 gallons
Mileage rating — 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway
