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Infiniti Is Building a Manual Sports Sedan Aimed Directly at the Heart of Enthusiasts

Rear-wheel drive? Check. Six-speed manual? Check. USA-bound? You betcha.

Front grille of a red Infiniti car with a black mesh pattern and chrome Infiniti logo.Infiniti
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By Chris Chin

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The rumors about an Infiniti Q50/G sedan successor are turning out to be holding water, according to our friends at MotorTrend. The outlet recently spoke with the chairman of Nissan Americas, Christian Meunier.

In the interview, Meunier said that Infiniti is putting some serious effort to rebuild its reputation, particularly in the eyes of American buyers. And to do so, the team wants to aim square at the hearts and desires of enthusiasts.

Say no more.

Putting Infiniti back on the map

Red Infiniti sedan driving on a rural road with green fields and trees in the background.
The legend of the Infiniti G will return as a next-gen Q50.
Infiniti

It’s no surprise that Infiniti currently is a shadow of what it used to be almost a decade ago. When the brand was at its peak, it was selling some of the best luxury sports alternatives to the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Audi and so on.

Such examples include the original G35/G37 models, which were hotcake competitors to the BMW 3 Series. Now, the brand wants to reinvigorate those models (now called the Q50/Q60 since its model branding overhaul in 2013).

Silver Infiniti sedan parked on dirt with mountains and trees in the background at sunset.
Infiniti became a serious competitor to the German premium brands when it launched the G35 in 2002.
Infiniti USA

To do so, one of the first priorities for Infiniti is to work on a rear-wheel-drive sedan, complete with an optional six-speed manual. During MotorTrend’s interview, Meunier confirmed the project is in motion.

Despite acknowledging the low sales numbers for manual-equipped cars — or roughly 10 percent according to company metrics — Infiniti knows that merely offering the option speaks greater volumes. Thus, they’re preparing for it not to be a big numbers generator.

Silver Infiniti sedan parked under a wooden pergola with trees in the background.
Infiniti renamed the G37 sedan as the Q50 in 2013 and was the last iteration to get an optional manual.
Infiniti USA

The last time the Q50/Q60 range offered a manual was the second-generation G35/G37 between 2007 and 2015.

Infiniti’s also apparently doubling down on its efforts to build out a new performance brand, a la BMW M, Mercedes-AMG and so on. This upcoming rear-wheel-drive sedan with an optional manual may be a part of this new effort.

Infiniti reportedly teased this effort with its latest QX80 R-Spec Concept.

Dipping into a very familiar parts bin

While other car companies turned their backs on manual transmissions due to the business argument of slow sales, Infiniti sees otherwise. Meunier also admitted that being a subsidiary of Nissan helps a lot. Especially with the existence of the Z and many other models in its Japanese Domestic Market.

Two gray Nissan sports cars with black wheels and red accents are driving on a curved race track. The cars have sleek, aerodynamic designs with prominent front grilles and LED headlights. The track is surrounded by dry grass and dirt.
The existence of the Z is helping Infiniti make a case for a new rear-wheel-drive, manual-equipped sedan.
Nissan

In this case, the new sedan will likely pull from the current Z’s parts bins. This totally makes sense since the latest Z uses the same twin-turbo VR-based V6 that debuted on the previous Q50 and Q60 Red Sport models.

That V6 stems from the original V6 from the last Nissan GT-R, which laid the groundwork for the company’s replacement for the tried, test and true VQ-based V6 prior.

Car interior with red leather IPL sport seats, black steering wheel with Infiniti logo, and manual gear shift.
The G37 IPL Coupe and Convertible, or basically the sedan’s two-door sibling, was also one of the last to offer a manual.
Infiniti

Nissan still offers the Z with a manual transmission. That makes it easy for Infiniti to utilize that combination for its latest Q50/Q60 replacement.

This is all on top of the fact that the Infiniti G/Q50/Q60 has always been a fancied version of the JDM Skyline sedan and coupe since 2003. Recently, Nissan discontinued the model in Japan after an eleven-year production run.

Red Infiniti Q50S sedan parked on a paved road with hills and trees in the background at sunset.
Infiniti could be one of the manual transmission’s saviors in an application outside a dedicated sports car.
Infiniti

According to various automotive sources in Japan, Nissan intends to continue the Skyline for a new generation. That will lay the groundwork for a new Q50 and Q60.

Timeline? Meunier said to expect it by 2027.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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