Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti launched its striking Q60 sports coupe in 2.0-litre turbo form last year but it failed to ignite sports cars buyers and just 32 have hit the road this year. In March however Infiniti launched the potent 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 Q60 – more aggressive with appealing and somewhat chiseled styling elements on large 19-inch wheels and a very nice hand crafted interior with exceptionally detailed Nappa leather and carbon fibre elements, and scintillating performance from the 298 kW twin-turbo engine and seven speed automatic with paddle shifters. On top of that it features exceptional braking. Infiniti use a developed version of their fly by wire steering and with no mechanical connection to the wheels it lacks the communication you expect from such a sporty car.

Ride is firm but acceptable and for this reason you’re always aware it’s a sports model but this twin- turbo flagship Q60 is a big step up from the rather disappointing 2.0-litre single turbo model. As a brand Infiniti is still finding its feet in Australia and whilst sales are running nearly 17 per cent up on the same time last year it has only delivered 347 cars this year. Unfortunately its brand awareness is still very low. Driving the stunning looking Q60 flagship coupe I still fielded questions from many interested observers as to what was the car I was driving. One can’t question Infiniti quality however, the flagship Q60 at $89,900 has exceptional fit and finish – the interior beautifully detailed. I’m David Berthon

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