Infiniti is getting rid of random letters across their range and replacing them all with the letter Q for 2014 so people aren't confused anymore.
Can the new Q succeed and beat the 3-series at its own game?
The Q50 (or Fitty, if you will) looks a bit ungainly from the front. The grille appears to be too large and the headlights too small; It's a bit reminiscent of a photoshop pinch and stretch job.
Things get better around back. Narrow lights and twin exhausts combine for a tasteful and clean rear. I like it a lot.
Under the hood we have a 3.7 liter V6 (SHOCKER) with 328 horsepower and 269 pound feet of torque. There will also be the Q50 Hybrid, which has a 3.5 liter V6 paired with an electric motor to net 360 horses between the two. Not too shabby. This is all linked to a seven speed autobox. They did not list a manual option. Uh oh.
Another option that is making an appearance is the Direct Adaptive Steering, which is Infiniti's RC steering. We're yet to see how natural this can feel, but Infiniti claims it's excellent. Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi, the two sebases of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, tested the car, so it must be good.
There is also an infotainment center called Infiniti InTouch. It looks a lot like Cadillac's CUE system, but it has two touchscreens for added touchtastic entertainment.
The Q50 will go on sale in the late summer of 2013. No pricing was announced, but I'm gonna take a gamble and say that it's similar to G37 prices.