Japan’s 4-Series? Infiniti's Q60 concept

This is the new Infiniti Q60, Posh Nissan's answer to the BMW 4-Series coupe set to be unveiled at the Detroit show next week.

Actually, that's not quite true. Rather, this is the new Infiniti Q60 concept, a design study previewing Posh Nissan's answer to the BMW 4-Series coupe.

But make no mistake. Strip away a few of the jazzier design flourishes - those santoku-knife wing mirrors won't survive, sadly, and expect that front spoiler arrangement to be toned down a little - and you're looking at a forthcoming 2+2 rival to both that two-door BMW, and Audi's soon-to-be-replaced A5.

Of course, there's a Q60 on the market already. It's the car previously known as the G37 Coupe, but given a new handle under Infiniti's faintly baffling renaming strategy. Despite the new name, the existing Q60 is an old thing, and hardly helping Infiniti's so far limited success in breaking the BMW/Audi/Merc strangehold on the premium end of the European market.

This new version shall be spun off the latest Q50 saloon, which launched last year with lashings of technology, if not driver excitement. Here's hoping a production Q60 can sprinkle a bit of handling atop the Q50's undoubted processing power.

Infiniti's giving no word on what engine might lurk 'neath this concept, informing us only of the Q60's ‘road-hugging stance hinting at exceptional dynamics and driving pleasure'. The Q60 borrows styling cues from last year's Eau Rouge super-saloon concept - would it be too much to hope for the same 560bhp twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet?

We'll find out more at the Detroit show. Reckon this could - if it makes it to production reasonably unchanged - finally be the Infiniti to put the wind up the Germans?