2017 Infiniti Q60 3.0t Sport: Special Edition and Charity

Infiniti is an interesting company. They began to be part of a big wave of Japanese manufacturers challenging German manufacturers to the high-end market. Acura, Infiniti and Lexus are all targeting the luxury car market.

But now, all these years later, Infiniti has morphed into something more than they started out to do. Yes, they still makes sedans, and they are still quite impressive. And Infiniti continues to focus on an expansion of the SUV/crossover market because there’s money to be made there.

But Infiniti has also been tasked with making big sports coupes for the North American market.

It’s a shrewd move in a way. For a certain growing market segment, sport coupes coated in more tech contraptions than the Millennium Falcon is where it’s at. They were always a thing in Japan, but bringing them across the Pacific to America has been more complicated than it should be. Yes, there’s a segment that would happily take a Skyline with the steering wheel on the correct side.

But Nissan was never quite sure of this, so they never brought something like a Skyline over whole (until Godzilla showed up in the guise of the GT-R). They would, however, send over bits and pieces that would end up in Infiniti coupes.

Which brings us to the 2017 Infiniti Q60 3.0t Sport.

2017 Infiniti Q60 3.0t Sport. Photo: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.

Halo Effect

Technology & Features

Special Edition

Charitable Causes

Halo Effect

For 2017, the Q60 is completely redesigned. Infiniti says it benefits “from the very best styling, performance, and technology.” I won’t argue with them on the performance and tech aspects, but man, Infiniti (and Nissan for that matter) really should look into what they refer to as “styling” these days. Italians can’t be that busy, give one of their styling houses a ring.

It’s not that the Q60 is bad (although some Nissans are dreadful), just bland.

Which in some cases can be even worse.

The Q60 is the halo car of the fleet and represents the third generation of their sport coupes that started with the 2003 G35. Comprehensively updated for 2017, the Q60 incorporates a trio of all-new advanced turbocharged engines, next-generation ride and handling technologies, and the very latest infotainment and Safety Shield driver assistance systems.

Transforming on demand, Infiniti’s VC-Turbo technology uses an advanced multi-link system to seamlessly raise or lower the reach of the pistons, detecting the car’s driving condition and driver inputs, and instantly selecting the most suitable compression ratio. The engine is able to offer any compression ratio between 8:1 (for performance) and 14:1 (for efficiency). Photo: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.

Technology & Features

The new Q60 3.0t Sport is designated by the silver “S” model badge, and is the latest addition to the 2017 Q60 portfolio. The car is equipped with the new VR-series 3.0 liter V6 twin turbo engine, cranking out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque.

The Q60 3.0t Sport includes sport brakes with silver-painted calipers, sport-tuned Dynamic Digital Suspension, carbon fiber interior trim, semi-aniline leather-appointed sport seats, paddle shifters, and aluminum-accented pedals.

There’s also such niceties as a dual occupant memory for the driver’s seat, power tilt and telescoping steering column, auto dimming outside mirrors, and interior ambient lighting.

“Infiniti has a longstanding tradition of design prowess and engineering excellence, and at our core, we stand for empowering the drive of our products,” said Randy Parker, Vice President, Infiniti Americas. Photo: Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.

Special Edition

A Q60 Neiman Marcus trim is also available. Neiman Marcus does this every holiday season. They partner with a bunch of companies (car makers, stereo manufacturers, nose hair trimmers) pick out the best and brightest (or failing that, the product any of these companies really wants to push) roll on some special Neiman Marcus branding, colors or maybe a few variant details, and then slap on a sticker price approximately 192% higher for those that either have to have it, have to have anything labeled Neiman Marcus, or are just so rich they don’t care about paltry concerns like price.

In this case, Infiniti has pared up with Neiman Marcus for the, wait for it, Infiniti Q60 Neiman Marcus Limited Edition. Someone needs to branch out with the naming, y’know? Anyway, the Q60 NMLE (I made that one up) will show up in the luxury retailer’s annual Christmas Book, and has been named this year’s Fantasy Gift.

Charitable Causes

The whole package retails for $63,000 and, besides the trifle that is the car itself, includes an exclusive Gallery White leather weekender bag, a plaque with the car’s VIN number, Neiman Marcus branded indoor car cover, and letter of authenticity.

Oh, and Neiman Marcus decided that if you’re going to buy this car, then you’re also going to be a philanthropist. With the purchase of each, Infiniti will donate $1,000 to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation.

The Q60NMLE is based on the Red Sport 400 version of the all-new Q60 – the 400 horsepower coupe equipped with a 3.0 liter-twin-turbocharged V6 plant. As is the want of Neiman Marcus, it’s painted in a special color, in this case it’s called Solar Mica hue.

The 2017 Infinti Q60 3.0t Sport, along with its Neiman Marcus counterpart, is currently on display (as of this writing) at the Los Angeles Auto Show. If you cannot make it to the show, the special Q60 can be found on page 128 of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life around racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photo and amp; Source: Infiniti Automobile Co., Ltd.