2015 Infiniti Q50 3.7 Premium Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

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Infiniti boss De Nysschen confirms next-gen Q60 Coupe, ponders high-performance variants

We've known since mid-December that Infiniti's new global model naming convention would turn the current-generation G37 Coupe into the Q60 Coupe starting next year, but we haven't been clear on whether the model-range-formerly-known-as-G would get a successor, especially as its volume has traditionally been a lot lower than its sedan counterpart.
Thankfully, Infiniti president Johann De Nysschen (above) has stepped up to confirm that the newly revealed Q50 sedan will receive a two-door counterpart, though perhaps not as quickly as some would like. According to an interview with Australia's CarAdvice.com, De Nysschen says "the coupe we can probably expect two-and-a-half to three years down the road." That news also suggests that if there's an eventual convertible version, that it's a long way off, too. Why so long? Infiniti has "a lot of priorities" - priorities that undoubtedly include an already-confirmed front-wheel-drive small hatchback/crossover.
The report also indicates that Infiniti has some aspirations for stretching its new Q50/Q60 range in a higher-performance direction to take on competitors like BMW and Audi, the latter being De Nysschen's former employer. There's far from a firm timetable offered, of course, with De Nysschen saying "someday in the future we will be able to offer more high performance versions [of Q50] than we have today... the dynamic capabilities of this platform are very significant. It can handle far higher power than the engines we are using at launch."

Infiniti Q60 dies at year's end

In 2021, Automotive News' Future Product Pipeline coverage for the Infiniti brand contained a single entry for 2023: "Infiniti Q60 ends in 2023." Turns out the report of the Q60's death was true; the brand confirmed to Car and Driver that the coupe ends production at the end of this year. We wish we were surprised at the news or the rationale. An automaker spokesperson told the magazine, "We are focusing on the most popular luxury automotive segments such as crossovers and SUVs, as well as the upcoming EV we recently announced that will be built here in the U.S." The official justification didn't address the fact that dealers sold 2,728 units of the Q60 in the U.S. last year, 64 units fewer than achieved in 2020, and 2,315 units fewer than dealers moved in 2019 — the year Q60 sales fell off a cliff after selling more than 9,000 units in 2018. Consider this another step in the "three-phase company transformation" that Chairman Peyman Kargar is in the second stage of working through. The first phase of recovery ended this March, the luxury automaker getting back to profit globally. The current second stage that will revamp, electrify, and expand the lineup is predicted to last for the next four years. The spearhead will be the new QX80 SUV, planned for late next year or early 2024 with ambitions to challenge the Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX, and Range Rover. That luxury club barred Infiniti from entry awhile ago, so Kargar's talking about profound turnaround. As for the Q60, the shame is that a car with sweet looks and even sweeter power never got the interior or driving dynamics to match. Perhaps the return of a much better Nissan Z can provide fodder for a proper Infiniti coupe once the luxury division has restored its momentum. The spokesperson told Car and Driver that Q60 inventory should last until well into 2023, so anyone looking for a 400-horsepower bargain with a six-speed manual should mark their calendar for early next spring.   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Infiniti Q50 Active Lane control is scarily self-driving

Occasionally, we post videos that require us to tell you not to try something at home. They usually involve some unsafe activity that requires a high-degree of skill and planning to achieve. This video, though, gets a more interesting disclaimer: Don't ever try this. Ever. Never ever. Period. Seriously, don't try it.
Some clowns in Germany decided to put the Infiniti Q50's Active Lane Control system to the test. For those not in the know, ALC can make small adjustments to keep the vehicle in the correct lane, a feature that's just starting to pick up steam. Instead of using it the way you're supposed to - with both hands on the wheel - these guys not only take both hands off the steering, but at one point climb out of the seat while traveling at freeway speeds, just to see how automated the combination of ALC and adaptive cruise control really are.
Yes, we've seen this sort of stunt before, but it was done in extremely controlled circumstances that didn't put the cars, the driver or any other motorists at risk and probably had appropriate emergency personnel on hand should the worst happen.