Is Infiniti’s New Q50 S 400 Red Sport Better Than an AMG C43?
It is no secret that the AMG machines are some of the best cars Mercedes makes, and routinely they are the top of their class for looks, performance, and exhaust noise. But AMG may not be at the top of the pile for much longer if Infiniti has anything to say about it. Before you yell, just hear me out.
Mercedes just announced the new C43 Cabrio with a 3.0-liter V6 that features a pair of turbos and 362 horsepower. For the Q50 S, Infiniti has its own twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, but it makes 400 horsepower. And actually, after driving the machine, I think that number might be a bit underrated. To give you just one quick example, while traveling along a highway at 50 mph, I stomped the throttle to pass a slow moving truck and the ass end of the Q50 S tried to snap out of line, while wearing summer rubber. That 400 mark is certainly a baseline.
Not only is this new motor powerful, it’s incredibly smooth, has lighting fast responses, and when you keep out of the throttle, it’s fuel efficient as well. I saw as high as 34 mpg on a highway cruise. In short, I think that new VR motor Infiniti has under the hood is the best motor in the segment right now. It’s better than any BMW that doesn’t have an M badge, and on paper it beats out the new AMG-tuned C43.
The Q50 S is not a better car than the C-Class, but it does have a better motor. How much more work would Infiniti really have to do to eclipse the Germans? AMG has been the top-dog for too long, and I think they might be resting on their laurels a bit.
Let this be a warning to our favorite German brand. AMG may build some of the best engines in the world, but this time the Japanese beat them at their own game.
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