The Evora squeaks out a win, with 52% of the vote. I’m proud of you, you know that? We move on to more pedestrian metal this week, but something that’s been tugging at my little car heart.
Stop turning the Infiniti Q50s into shitboxes!
The 2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 vs the 2022 Lexus IS 500
BBBUUUUZZZZZZZ *cough* BUUUZZZZZZZ *cough*…
I was awoken from my mental treadmill of thoughts by the extremely obnoxious sound of a Nissan VQ engine at full roar. Burning oil, with a bumper hanging off the front, this black Q50 was barely able to keep pace with traffic. I swear, not 5 minutes later, a gray one in similar condition was mightily trying to merge onto the highway.
What happened to these cars? Yes, I know the G35/37 became the poster car for affordable luxury performance – it had the goods, the styling… it was a great car! At least they used to be before the tuner horde turned their tasteless sense of modding on the platform. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a good example.
But they did MAKE a good example, it just never sold: the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport. If I’m honest, the Q50 hasn’t aged as well as the prior G generation, and it felt like they made it forever. Weren’t they expensive? How is everyone affording them? I know the answer; Infiniti made them for nine years, in many different trim levels.
But seeing a Red Sport is rare – just 30,000 were sold over that nine-year run. BMW sells more G8X M cars in one year by a significant amount. A 400-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 with tech from the GT-R and a sport-tuned suspension – it had genuine sport sedan goods. It’s a candidate for Radwood in 20 years.
But that’s later, and this is now. Let’s grab another modern Japanese sport sedan to compare.
The 2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400
2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport Market Snapshot
| Original MSRP: | $55,750 |
| Current Value Range: | $16,000 – $44,000 |
| Production Numbers: | 30,000 units |
Sites like Bring a Trailer or Cars & Bids don’t put many of these up for bid, probably because your local CarMax still has them on the lot.
- 58,300 miles
- Dynamic Sunstone Red over Graphite leather
- 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, rated at 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque
- Seven-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was offered, but this one is rear-wheel drive.
- No mods aside from window tint
- Clean Carfax
- Average wear and tear around the paint and glass
- The Q50 had optional (and weird) drive-by-wire steering, but this one is missing that feature.
- Bid to $24,750 in 2024, but not sold
I can’t find many of these up for sale on auction sites, which explains why this listing is two years old. But do a search locally and you’re likely to find one available for less than this asking price. Yes, that includes the Red Sport, not just the ones with missing bumpers.
These used to be great driver’s cars, but look closely and you’ll see the badge job they became – much of this “new” Q was carried over from the G, at a time when Infiniti’s budget was shrinking.
So with that in mind…
The 2022 Lexus IS 500
2022 Lexus IS 500 Market Snapshot
| Original MSRP: | $67,400 |
| Current Value Range: | $40,000 – $58,000 |
| Production Numbers: | 1,500 units |
I know, this is a tough sell. The IS 500 is one of my all-time favorite sedans, mostly because of that sweet V-8.
- 8,500 miles
- Incognito over black leather
- Clean Carfax
- This is the Launch Edition, of which only 500 were made – this one is #14
- You know it – 5.0-liter V-8, rated at 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque
- Eight-speed automatic transmission, though it’s not great
- Minor paint chips are the only flaw
- Sold for $58,000
The IS looks better, sounds better, drives better… right, you get it. But at $58,000, these don’t really depreciate at all due to low production numbers – just 1,500 were made in 2022, and that includes this Launch Edition.
Does the fact that you could buy two Q50 Red Sports for the price of one IS matter? You’d even have some left over for parts. Come on – I bet it would make a great daily. Just fix the bumpers and oil leaks.
