Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge closer to production
When Infiniti unveiled their Q50 Eau Rouge concept car, both automotive journalists and performance car enthusiasts fell in love with it. The Nissan GT-R’s engine and drivetrain were shoehorned into the Q50 luxury sedan, making a sports sedan with supercar power and handling, and it seems the car may actually be nearing production.
Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen said in an interview with Motor Trend that he was pushing the Eau Rouge for production, and that the production version would be very close to what was seen in the concept. The production version will likely have the seven-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system from the Infiniti Q70, but will keep the twin-turbo 3.8 liter V6 from the GT-R.
The production Q50 Eau Rouge is expected to cost around $100,000, which is right around what the Nissan GT-R costs currently. This puts the Eau Rouge nearly $40,000 ahead of the BMW M3 sedan, though how these two vehicles will compare is yet to be seen.
Unlike the M3, however, the Q50 Eau Rouge will only be produced in very low volumes. In the interview, de Nysschen said that production will be anywhere from 250-500 units per year, and will be produced for two years. The reason for the low production volume is due to how much of the car has to be built by hand, and that Infiniti will lose money on every one they sell.
Compared to the even lower production Nissan Juke R from a couple years ago, the Eau Rouge is a bargain at $100,000. Only 23 of the Juke R were made at a price of $660,000 each.
Sources:
http://www.harteinfiniti.com/hartford/q50