Jump LinksThe Red Sport 400 Is The Trim Of Choice For Performance Enthusiasts The Q50 Red Sport Will Keep Things Under Control When The Road Gets TwistyWhile expanding your family is a joyous and unforgettable experience, it can affect the automotive life of gearheads. Due to needing extra space for children, pets, and cargo, sports cars and coupes may not provide the versatility required to remain on your driveway. This forces the switch to larger vehicles like sedans, wagons, crossovers, or SUVs. In fact, the most popular vehicle in America that's not a truck is the Toyota RAV4. While they are more practical, many don't feature the same engaging driving experience as your old sports car.Luckily, most manufacturers offer a performance-orientated version of their family-friendly creations. For fans looking for a Nissan Z with two extra doors, Infiniti has a used bargain that keeps you covered. The Infiniti Q50 Is The US Version Of The Nissan Skyline Sedan Infiniti For JDM enthusiasts looking for a four-door sedan that can combine practicality and pleasure, the duo of the Subaru Impreza STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution series double up as the usual front-runners. The trouble is, not only do they look a little garish to most families, but they are also expensive to maintain and keep filled up with gas. The Infiniti Q50 alleviates these issues, as it features a smoother and more mature exterior design, and a more luxurious interior.The Q50 first made its debut in 2014 as a successor to the G37 model, with the car being essentially a rebadged Nissan Skyline. The V37 generation of the historic nameplate was only sold in Japan, but Nissan felt it could work in the US by being sold under the umbrella of its luxury brand. It was joined in 2016 by the Q60, which was built on the same platform but took the shape of a premium two-door coupe instead. The Red Sport 400 Is The Trim Of Choice For Performance Enthusiasts Infiniti For drivers pining after a Nissan Z but can't justify the lack of practicality, the Q50 Red Sport 400 could be the answer to your prayers. First introduced in 2016 as part of a facelift for the Q50, the Red Sport was designed to weld together the plush cabin of a range-topping Q50 with the performance of a legendary Nissan Z car. The Q50 Red Sport 400 Is A Twin-Turbo Powerhouse Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet The headline act with the Red Sport 400 is its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, which is an uprated version of the powerplant featured in the 3.0t and Sport trims. In these, it produces 300 hp, but in the Red Sport 400 spec, it kicks out 400 hp, which is channeled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. This makes it just as powerful as the standard version of a Nissan Z. Infiniti's Intelligent AWD system is available as an option, which can send up to 50% of the V6's power to the front wheels when needed to aid traction. When it's not needed, all the grunt goes to the rear wheels.The Red Sport 400's engine is largely similar to that of the 300-hp variant, with the main differences being a more aggressive tune and the addition of a turbo-speed sensor, which allows the turbo to spin up faster and create more power. A dual-water-pump system was also utilized to help keep the powerplant cool. The Q50 Red Sport Will Keep Things Under Control When The Road Gets Twisty Infiniti The Q50 Red Sport also comes with some other tricks up its sleeve, such as a fully independent double-wishbone suspension setup that is backed up by an electronically controlled adaptive damping system. This allows the shocks and dampers to mold to whatever roads the car is tackling, and set it up perfectly for whatever the driver fancies. This means the Q50 can feel stiff and responsive when the road is smoother, or you're attacking a back road, but then soften up when you want to cruise or if the road gets rougher.Infiniti Its advanced suspension system is backed up by an uprated braking system consisting of four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers, as well as enlarged ventilated discs compared to the lower-end models. It may not look as striking as a Nissan Z, but the Q50's performance enhancements will get your pulse racing in just the same way. The Q50 Red Sport Can Be Had For A Steal Infiniti One of the best things about the Q50 Red Sport 400 is its price on the used market. According to the CarBuzz Marketplace early 2016 model year examples can be picked up for around $15,500, which represents insane value for a car with such a blend of performance and convenience. Of course, opting for earlier cars can be risky as they may be afflicted with issues that come down to their age and mileage.By choosing later cars, which feature any tweaks made by the manufacturer to eradicate any issues found when they first went on sale, you'll be less likely to run into any unforeseen problems. You can pick up 2020 MY cars for around $25,000, still less than half of the Q50 Red Sports' original $55,000 MSRP, while 2023 MY Q50s can be had for around $20,000 under MSRP.Infiniti Given it also comes fully loaded with a 14-speaker Bose sound system, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation alongside its commanding performance upgrades, the Q50 Red Sport will make the dreams of family-orientated gearheads come true. Infiniti Built An F1-Inspired Version Of The Q50 InfinitiWhile the Q50 Red Sport 400 doesn't mess about when it comes to performance, it can't hold a candle to another special version of the model. Called the Eau Rouge, it was based on the original 2014 spec of the Q50. As Infiniti sponsored the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team at the time, the marque decided to build an F1-inspired version of its luxury sedan. A 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 from the very same VR engine family and found under the hood of the Nissan GT-R - was slotted under the hood, the all-aluminum unit sharing firing 560 hp to all four wheels.Infiniti Its body was also lavished with racing-inspired carbon fiber aero parts, chief among which was a new rear spoiler that boosted downforce to aid high-speed stability. According to Infiniti, only the front doors and arch of the roof pillars were retained from the standard Q50; everything else was bespoke to the Eau Rouge. While it never made production, the Q50 Eau Rouge was afforded to the world's media to sample.It was estimated to hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, and could reach around 180 mph. Even though it was originally earmarked to reach production, Infiniti eventually got cold feet and scrapped the idea. Given that it pre-dated the Red Sport 400 by two years, it's likely some of the unhinged DNA of the Eau Rouge ultimately ended up in its production successor, which is just waiting to be snapped up on the used market.
