The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Is The Bargain M3-Baiter North America Will Love

The 400bhp Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 isn’t brand new, but we’ve just seen the latest pricing news and we reckon it’s a seriously good-value North American alternative to an M3.

Infiniti is, of course, Japanese, but if you’re in America you can pick the latest twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 model up with rear-wheel drive for $51,000 plus $905 destination and handling fee. That makes it $13,000 cheaper than the starting price for the M3. On paper it’s hard to argue with that kind of value.

Okay, so the M3 packs an extra 44bhp and a badge with more heritage, but the Q50 is full of clever technology and advanced aerodynamic design that apparently eliminates lift at high speeds, where it matters.

Its transmission is a seven-speed automatic with paddles and rev-matching on down-shifts. Driving modes span Standard, Sport, Snow, Eco and customisable Personal. There’s a huge range of safety kit on board as well, just in case you accidentally put it into something solid.

For about the same price ($50,600) there’s also a 360bhp hybrid option, which uses a closed, ‘full’ hybrid layout to make sure there’s always a small amount of e-juice on tap when it’s needed. So, America: would you take the $13,000 saving and the Infiniti over the M3?