Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype first drive

Sat on lightly modified mounts and boasting a heavily redesigned inlet manifold and intercooler unit packaged to suit the tighter engine bay dimensions of the Q50, the aluminium and magnesium engine has been tuned with bespoke mapping to endow the Eau Rouge with stout 552bhp and 442lb ft of torque.

The heady reserves are currently sent to all four wheels via a modified version of Infiniti’s six-speed automatic gearbox – if only for lack of any suitable alternative.

Earlier plans to provide the new car with the GT-R’s faster shifting six-speed dual clutch transaxle were ditched due to packaging concerns. Infiniti was keen to ensure the Q50 Eau Rouge retained sufficient accommodation in the rear – something it says would have been heavily compromised had it gone with the dual clutch solution.

To see it cope with the wholesale lift in power and torque, Infiniti has extensively modified the four-wheel-drive system, although it is still very much in an early state of development.

Underneath the skin – a mixture of steel, aluminium and carbon fibre - is a largely unique chassis. Among the myriad changes is a 100mm increase in the width of the front and rear tracks. Combined with a 15mm lowering in ride height up front and 20mm lowering at the rear, the Q50 Eau Rouge a much more planted stance than its standard sibling.

Further changes include special lightweight components, larger anti-roll bars front and rear, firmer spring and dampers, while a set of 20-inch wheels shod with a set of sticky 225/35 profile Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres reside underneath the widened fenders, adding to the assertive appearance.

The steering, which has reverted back to an electro-mechanical system after initially sporting the fully electric arrangement used on the Q50 Hybrid, is encouragingly direct, conspicuously quick and nicely weighted. There are enthusiastic turn-in traits and with quite a bit of initial front-end bite it manages to carry an impressive amount of speed up to the apex.

Infiniti has tuned the Q50 Eau Rouge’s four-wheel-drive system to provide a nominal 50:50 drive split front to rear in a move aimed at achieving neutral handling characteristics. In high-speed corners it is very impressive.

Taut damping and anti roll bars measuring 32mm up front and 20mm at the rear helps provides great body control, and there is plenty of purchase from those sticky Pirellis once you’re committed.

In tight corners, though, and the sheer potency of the drive forces being deployed by the front wheels eventually overcomes the purchase delivered by its grippy tyres on a loaded throttle, leading to a touch of understeer and the intervention of stability control when you push hard at the exit. Still, given the customer base Infiniti intends to pitch the car to, it is probably the right way to go.

Development work is already underway to determine whether the car may benefit from a slightly more rearward bias of drive, or perhaps more advanced mapping to speed up the apportioning of drive between the front and rear axles as grip levels vary, although a final decision is yet to be made.

Ray Mallock Limited is yet to fully sort the finer points of the springing and bushing, although an earlier test session by Sebastian Vettel was aimed at providing feedback on the overall set-up.

The Q50 Eau Rouge prototype didn’t much like low frequency bumps and the front end is particularly sensitive to changing surfaces, but these should be ironed or at least minimised out by the time it reaches production.