Infiniti is bringing a SEMA build that you can actually create yourself (decals notwithstanding).
We’re right around the corner from manufacturers and aftermarket specialists far and wide descending on Las Vegas for this year’s SEMA event. Infiniti is bringing a specially prepared Q50 Red Sport 400 build, showcasing the range of accessories you can get for the brand’s performance sedan. And the automaker collaborated with Mobil 1 on the project, if the massive hood decal isn’t a strong enough indication.
Apart from the one-off wrap and the decals, this special Q50 Red Sport brings in a host of accessories to make the car a more exciting prospect for enthusiasts. At first glance, you’ll most likely notice the 19-inch Nismo LM-RS1 forged wheels. Those are available from a variety of sites in either bronze, anthracite or black.
Most of the noteworthy changes to this car happen under the hood. First off, the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine gets a billet-aluminum coolant expansion tank that’s 70% larger than the factory setup, as well as an auxiliary 1.7-gallon intercooler tank, a CARB-compliant cold-air instake and an upgraded heat exchanger. You also get a cat-back exhaust (a $1,899 accessory) offering an “exhilerating” note, with the Infiniti logo laser-etched on the tips. And it runs on Mobil 1 0W-20 full synthetic oil, naturally.
Infiniti also upgraded the Q50 Red Sport 400’s brakes and suspension for the SEMA build. On the braking front, you get Akebono performance street pads (around $250 a set), as well as Infiniti Performance front upper arms, rear traction rod and endlinks. You can find all those parts on the brand’s parts website, should you want to upgrade your own Q50 or Q60.
The company, for its part, does not say whether you get any extra output over the standard 400 horsepower/350 lb-ft of the factory Red Sport, so it’s safe to assume it’s more about responsiveness and handling here. Also, with the cooling upgrades, you could feasibly push the car harder for longer, if you were to take it on a track day.
Inside, the only change over the standard car is a $704 carbon fiber steering wheel finisher.
While this car is obviously an accessories showcase over a hardcore SEMA build, it does make sense when you consider Infiniti’s demographic here. While the Q50 Red Sport 400 isn’t the most popular sports sedan on the market, you will notice those who buy these cars (or the G35/G37, for that matter) are intensely loyal. Not only that, but they like to tinker and swap parts on their cars, so this build may speak to those die-hard enthusiasts out there.
