Coupes are becoming an endangered species. That is, unless you want to drop some serious money on one. Now it’s time to pour one out for another relatively accessible luxury coupe, as Car and Driver has confirmed the Infiniti Q60 is discontinued for 2023.
Let’s be honest: Infiniti buyers are few and far between. The automaker’s second quarter U.S. sales were just 10,559 units. That’s just over 10,000 cars from an automaker that sells six models. When you look at the Q60’s sales, they’re even worse, selling just 635 in the second quarter. Even that’s a 24-percent drop from last year during the same time. It’s no wonder it made the automaker’s chopping block.
It’s a quick end to a model that wasn’t here for long and hasn’t been well received for its driving dynamics. Shown as a striking concept back in 2015, the Q60 went into production for the 2016 model year as a successor to the G37 coupe. The Q60 is a great-looking coupe, but boring to drive. Sure you can get the same twin turbo 400 horsepower V6 that’s found in the new Z, but you have to drop nearly $60,000 to get it with the Red Sport 400 trim. That’s the same trim package Car and Driver called “a bit dull.” For that kind of money, there are way better options to buy.
Infiniti once teased us with a possible injection of performance into the Q60. In late 2018, the brand debuted a hybrid-powered concept based on the Q60 called Project Black S. This Q60 used Formula 1 hybrid technology to get 563 hp from its V6. And it looked fantastic. But like the Nissan GT-R-powered Q50 Eau Rouge before it, Infiniti backed out of production.
An Infiniti spokesperson said the brand is now “ focusing on the most popular luxury automotive segments such as crossovers and SUVs, as well as the upcoming EV we recently announced that will be built here in the U.S.” With our boxy brethren on wheels taking over the roads, coupled with the brand’s failure to succeed at performance, the death of the Q60 may just be the death to sporty, fun performance Infinitis.