It’s been a long time since enthusiasts seriously thought about the Infiniti Q50, and not just because it finally got canceled last year. The 400-horsepower Red Sport was quick, but it just didn’t quite have what it took to really go toe-to-toe with competitors such as the BMW 3 Series. But believe it or not, that may change, at least in a few years. Apparently, Infiniti plans to bring the Q50 back sometime in the second half of 2027, Automotive News reports.
If you read that and assumed the new Q50 would be electric, that would be understandable. We’re talking about a car that will likely be a 2028 model, after all, and the future is electric, even if a bunch of Republicans bought off by the oil and gas industry say differently. That reportedly won’t be the case, though, as the revived Q50 will get the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 as the Nissan Z and get a manual transmission option, something the U.S.-market Q50 didn’t offer before. That’s the same engine Infiniti used on its Red Sport models, but this time around, it may be tuned to make up to 450 hp.
The new Q50 will also reportedly be twinned with the Skyline sedan, just like the old Q50. The current Skyline is more than a decade old at this point, but don’t worry, it doesn’t sound like Infiniti has plans to revive a car that first went on sale in 2014 as-is. There’s a new Skyline coming, too, and the new Q50 should be based on that one, although it wouldn’t be terribly surprising if both the new Skyline and Q50 ended up riding on a heavily revised version of the existing chassis. This is Nissan we’re talking about, after all.
It’s not practical, but it is fun
The brand reportedly showed off a preview of the new sport sedan at the national dealer meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday, so it’s possible more information will leak as time goes on, but for now, at least, we’re going to choose to be excited. As one unnamed source told Automotive News, “The new Q50 is a visceral car with a twin-turbo that screams. It’s not practical, but it is fun.” Hopefully they’re right, and we’ll soon have a new rear-wheel-drive, manual sport sedan to play with soon.
Infiniti Americas Vice President Tiago Castro also described the new Q50 as “unapologetic and unexpected,” telling Automotive News, “It’s an opportunity to connect back to the roots of the brand.” Specifically, it seems Infiniti wants to go after the (mostly) men in their 50s who first became interested in the brand when it introduced the G35 back in the early 2000s. It will also join the upcoming QX65 and QX80 SUVs that Infiniti hopes will finally get people interested in its brand again.
“We just haven’t had the product,” Vinay Shahani, Nissan’s U.S. head of sales and marketing, told Automotive News. “And now we’re coming to the table with the product.”
While some dealers are reportedly crossing their fingers that Infiniti will also offer an all-wheel-drive version, Edmunds’ director of insights Ivan Drury told Automotive News he believes the focus on rear-wheel-drive fun is a step in the right direction, saying, “With fewer than a handful of luxury brands offering a stick shift, the Q50 is a must-consider for those with fond memories of stirring their gears.” Personally, I’m not sure “stirring their gears” is a phrase I would have used, but I do agree with the sentiment. After all, manual sports sedans are just more fun than their automatic counterparts.
