2023 Mercedes C43 AMG vs Infiniti Q50 RedSport, no replacement for displacement? Drag & Roll Race Join this channel to get access to perks: / @samcarlegion
Mercedes Canada site c43 top trip: Total Build $101,680 CDN before tax Infiniti Canada Q50 top trim: Total build $65,795 CDN before tax = 35,945 CDN I have to apologize I was wrong by $945. Good day
@@SamCarLegion so that’s options and all, you’re talking about. With being in my original comment, that with all options you’re getting a ton more goodies in the Mercedes. And if we skipped all the options and just bought the Mercedes base, you’d get better performance, and still better features for far less than the $35k difference you speak of. You should work on your delivery and where you get your info from. Good day to all! Edit: one other thing that might help you understand. The first comment in the video made about the $35k difference was by the Infiniti driver, stating, “for $35k more, it better be faster than this thing”. The Mercedes doesn’t need all the extra options, it’s still faster as a base c43 AMG.
Painful, sure, but the fact that an ANCIENT car keeps up with modern cars with better transmissions and more tech says more about how good the car is despite drag results.
@@drivescene6747 its beaten a few cars and it competes well with others that may be slightly faster (ie S4 etc). We've used my Q50 and Q60 against a lot of different cars over the last 3 years, and its always been generally competitive. It got destroyed by the RS5 and Jag FType R, but I dunno, for the value it hangs in there.
The INFINITI was a decent car back in 2016. I had a 2016 Q50 back then and it was a nice ride and looked good. However, the 2023 Q50 is almost identical to the car they sold 7 years ago. Nothing on it has really improved and yet the price continues to increase. Nissan/INFINITI needs to innovate. They are falling behind the competition. That is a shame.
I have a 2014 3.7 Q50S. Great car for price and 2014. 328 hp. 2024, we should have seen a Q50S with 425-450hp, 400ft=lps, and a faster transmission. at least as fast as 440
As a person who only prefers Japanese cars, I would easily take the q50, really wish they updated the interior and gave it the same facelift as the jdm skyline in 2019 though
The infinity reliability sucks almost as hard as the decade old automatic transmission. Just got over my decade long Japanese car phase. The 3 Acuras and a Lexus I owned were worse than any of my previous Audis by a long margin in terms of reliability, and a significant decline in driving quality. Two of the acuras needed transmissions becaue Acura/Honda still never figured out Automatic transmissions, much like Nissans CVTs, and the Lexus ended up with differential issues and a wiring diester at 65K miles no dealer was able to solve. My 2011 Audi A4 was nicer driving than all of them, with a higher quality interior, and my new B9.5 S4 feels like a space ship compared to them.
I think Infiniti just has to get rid of that 7 speed and use the 9speed. I have a RS400 and there’s potential for it to be faster stock wise and it starts with the transmission
they did in the new Z and it hasn't saved it. The only way for Japanese cars to compete is to go 95% German with a Japanese body a la Supra. Weirdly, if they're almost entirely German designed and made they can outperform the Germans. Basically, Japanese car companies should just become German tuner companies where sports cars are concerned.
@@elenchusYou were talking about sports cars and how good germans are and japanese brands should be german. If germans are so good at making race cars considering Porsche was a star in WEC racing, why did they lose to the Prius maker in WEC ? Stop talking BS. Or you don't know how many japanese parts there are in german cars, including the newest german BEVs.
@@Eugen-E You're switching from sports cars (and these aren't even sports cars, these are sport sedans) to race cars. If you want to get into pro racing and buy pro race cars and drive on race tracks competitively, then that might be a different discussion. The fact that some race car is really good doesn't make the Q50 or TLX Type S faster than their nearest German equivalents. The Japanese could win every pro race in the world every single time and it wouldn't lower the weight or increase the horsepower of any of their production cars. Your basic claim is still demonstrably false. It's not as simple as "Infiniti just has to get rid of that 7 speed and use the 9speed." Infiniti (in this case under the brand Nissan) did do that and they still got easily destroyed by its most direct competitor in every way. I take this harder than most. I'm a diehard Japanese car enthusiast and drive Japanese. I'm just also in touch with reality. These aren't the best days to be a Japanese performance enthusiast. It's not all dark, the CTR and ITS are doing well. The GT-R somehow manages to stay competitive despite being ancient.
I like the "no launch control" races. It's a better surrogate for what happens in a real-world, red light scenario. In that context, some cars perform relatively better (eg. Q50 Redsport, TLX Type S), while others perform worse (eg. Audi S5 Sportback).
@@stefanomarcellino6701 because most people don't use their left foot to brake, activating LC isn't always a quick or reliable process, and LC is bad on a vehicle's drivetrain.
@@TheBreakfastLover i think most people who know there car and see a potential race are going to use launch control. Its one button away in the new RS/M cars. I launch my RS5 sometimes even when I’m not racing.
@@SamCarLegionwhere are you seeing this $35k difference? You show in the beginning of the video, a $9k difference starting price USD (which I just checked is actually $59,900 for the Mercedes, and $58,500 for the Infiniti, making a $1,400 difference. But then add in the opal color and you get $61,850 for the Infiniti which makes it a more expensive starting price). I’m sure with all the add ons the Mercedes would cost more.. not sure it’d be by your claimed $35k, but even then, you’re getting a car with far superior interior and technology and more options. I’ll post this comment by itself too in the off chance you don’t see it here.
Whatever Infiniti needed to do to make the Q50/60/RS competitive should have been done with the 2018 refresh i.e. new/heavily updated transmission and interior. I (just as others I'm sure) really want to like this brand and for them to succeed, but it just goes to show the sad state of where they are, and the result of the bad decisions that kept piling on. Their focus now seems to be on SUV's whereas not too long ago, we kept getting some very enticing design concepts and possible higher performance models that amounted to nothing. Like I said before, what they need is a new product onslaught that will bring back the wow factor and generate increased interest in the brand because one new model or redesign every 2 to 3 years (QX60 and QX80) just isn't cutting it. Besides, not everyone wants an SUV.
The Q isn't a bad platform but man I wish Infiniti would at least just give it a true facelift, update the interior, and use the same trans in the auto Z. It's been a decade now. I get the VR30 is sticking around but I don't get why they don't update the aesthetics to match the newer Infiniti CUV's.
Bro they don't wana invest in r and d ...they are trying to follow Acura these days by creating fwd crossovers .... Even the skyline Nismo is a rebadger q50 abomination
They gave it a facelift in 2019 for japan only which is the Nissan skyline over there, it’s better than nothing cuz of the gtr grille and round taillights
@user-fm5xf4pe6v seriously man ..trust me ...these big ledtvs are going to freeze after two years and all modern cars will become obsolete with in a decade
where are you seeing this $35k difference, Sam? You show in the beginning of the video, a $9k difference starting price USD (which I just checked is actually $59,900 for the Mercedes, and $58,500 for the Infiniti, making a $1,400 difference. But then add in the opal color and you get $61,850 for the Infiniti which makes it a more expensive starting price). I’m sure with all the add ons the Mercedes would cost more.. not sure it’d be by your claimed $35k, but even then, you’re getting a car with far superior interior and technology and more options. Seems irrelevant to keep bringing that up. Edit: Canadian starting price for the Q50 black opal is $69,341, Mercedes C43 AMG 4matic is $81,150. $11,809 difference. Still not $35k.
In current autos the major difference is the pad between a steering wheel and a seat. Most of the rest does not make a significant variance. (of course, this is not about the very top of the line)
To get a good launch out of the q you need to turn off Traction control and have your foot on the break and gas till you hit 2500-3k rpm and then let go also rwd q gets off the line quicker there is so much drivetrain loss with awd on the q
I feel buddy's pain on that last race, I really do. Man honestly I think Nissan needs to just shut down the Infiniti line as it has died a slow dead. Nissan should should stick all their energy on that wonderful GTR and call it a night!
Considering the motor is hand built and it's a true "AMG" it's closer than I would think. The VR30 is 7 year old tech vs F1 and a 4 cyl isn't a disadvantage. With with a huge turbo and electric boost assist (F1 technology) the guys in Affalterbach know what their doing. Love the matchup 🙏❤️
Lol, you do know in a previous video comparison the new “true hand built AMG C43” got its butt handed to it by the previous model C43 that was not a hand built engine 🤣😂🤣 I’ll wait for the excuses to come rolling in.
@@PoppaSnipe I'm only referring here to the Infiniti Q50/Q60 VR30 motor. The C43 uses the V6 twin turbo from the heavier E450 and dials up more boost. I sure hope it would beat it. Again, with launch control and a far superior transmission. You are comparing apples to oranges there my friend! That's why you see them lose races to cars making less power all the time. Putting the power down and the drivetrain is the issue on the Q's platform.
Hey sam, any updates on where you're getting that $35k difference from? It's misinformation that should definitely be corrected when talking to a wide audience.
Im sad to see the Q go down. I really love japanese cars. Infact since my first one i haven't gotten anything else. Great cars. The infiniti needs a better transmission to allow easy upgrades.
@user-yk5eg8qf5k watch the video, the old C43 ran 12.7 and the new C43 ran 13 flat. Now, the same new C43 ran 12.4 vs the Q50, that 12.4 time would've destroyed the old C43. It's no way the same Car runs 4.5, 0-60 again, but the 1/4 mile is 13 vs 12.4 now more than a half second faster.
@m3awd598 true that, we finally get him to show times, and it's like pulling teeth to show trap speeds and actual data like the DA. But I guess it's better than nothing. 🤷
Sad Infiniti Still Uses this Weak Ass, Lazy Ass, Slow-Sloppy Ass, Wonky Ass Transmissions in thier Cars. If They Just Designer a New, Quicker Shifting Transmission They'll Have a Winning Formular, They already have Powerful Engines. Just this One Change Will Help Their Sales and Reputation.. I Used to Base Performance Off Engine Horsepower. But Since Owning a Q50, I've Learned That Engine Horsepower is Not Everything. If I'm Going to Buy Another Car An Infiniti Would Not Be in My First 5 Choice.
You didn’t do nothing wrong!!! I had a 18 Q50RS, now I have a 23 x3M40i and I love it! It’s super quick. 4.1 0-60 for a heavy suv , it’s beautiful, tons of tech. My next one will be a M3 gang gang
Yes, the C43 amg is a better performer than the Q50, just not better than the previous C43 amg. And definitely not better than the BMW 340i. The B58 engine in the 340i has changed the game.
But the M340i uses cheat (large amount of battery power) that is not disclosed to the public other than for the U.S. elites themselves.. The 2023 model M340i puts out 505 hp (battery + gasoline engine horsepower, not equivalent to the full gas engine horsepower) at the crank and 540 ft-lb torque. B58 engine my butt... it's weak, nothing without that battery power. If you were to disable that battery the car will go quite a bit slower than say the Kia Stinger GT, both dig and roll.
@@jimwallace4164 Would you happen to know what fuel type the q50 in the video was running on? I own a q50rs and notice a considerable difference in pick up when using ultra 94. I am almost certain the press car in this drag race is not at its full potential. Would love to see the same race after the q cycled through 2 full tanks of 94 octane gas.
Some of you all in the comments are STILL trying to justify a 9 year old car. The q50 is just that…. OLD w. An Old tranny old interior etc. I use to have a 2014 q50 hybrid brand new when it debuted in 2013 , and then I had a 18 Q50RS. I loved it at that time but I didn’t see no growth in the company so I got a BMW and never looked back. I currently have a 23 x3M and I love it everyday. Infiniti sucks as a brand and I’m sure I am not the only one who thinks this. Back in the day Infiniti had it going on. The vr30 is a great eng , but fails with that weak tranny. The tech is horrible. Infiniti lacks innovation for me!
Bruh no matter how you look at this the q is the weaker car. Sure its an older car but this c43 is literally heavier with 4 cylinders and gapping it. Sure its new but this isnt the fastest variet of the engine lmao its the CLA45. Also cool the car looks better on the outside but the inside looks trash compared to the mercedes. The c43 is just the better car in 2023
One thing i kind of love about infiniti is they still make it less complicated and less electronics to enjoy pure driving ... No big lcd displays in front of you and still maintians thr value proposition... Its like luxury experience at affordable rates ... But this is 2020 ..even less experienced lexus and Acuras are getting better and nissan despite having a heritage is just not doing enough.... If they cant make a transmission...borrow it from ZF 8hp + ... Provide a manual for purists. .. The q70 is outdated but with the V8 its quick, fast and really tail happy ... Feels like w luxury muslc like a more refined c hryzler 300 v8 .... The recent skyline nismo is just an abomination....i stil love the brsnd snd car ...but its nit enough
I’m not sure if anyone’s asked this yet, because I had a Red Sport. Did the guy driving the Infiniti, have it in “sport plus”because you get FULL POWER when in Sport+ mode and you have to have it in manual mode, because that seven speed is just too dang slow off the line. My friend’s 350 Z will get me every time if I don’t have it in manual and using the paddles. 🤦🏾♂️
Makes no sense because this channel raced W205 C43 vs this exact new W206 and the old one won every race. They also raced the q60rs vs W205 C43 and the Benz won every time too…
@@Escape_Raz well I beat a c43 2019 from a dig and from a roll so your wrong and I don’t care what u have to say maybe mine is faster because it’s rwd and it’s lighter and has less drivetrain loss and I have better tires??
Why a Q50? For the money. I would just get a BMW m340i. A q50 wouldn’t even cross my mind in this segment. I use to have a 18 RS I’m SO glad I got rid of it. I own a 23 x3M now.
@@markechio News flash: the 2024 BMW 3 series is rated number 1 for reliability. My q50 stayed in the shop due to the belt breaking on my 2018. BMW reliability on modern models have improved substantially over time. Infiniti reliability has gone down. Trust me! I work behind the scenes. if u can read between the lines..
@@markechio I stated that BMW modern cars improved over time,and who keeps their cars over 10 years nowadays!? I keeps my cars no more than 2-3 max! The maintenance can be more expensive to fix over 10 years to the point that you, that you wouldn’t want to spend money on it. My cousin bought a used 07 G37 sedan ,and Infiniti had stop making the parts that he needed for it ,so now it’s just sitting up in his driveway ,but he ended up buying a new car. 23 Hyundai Sonata
Nissan just needs to stick to making their everyday commuter cars and stop trying to be something they aren’t and will never be. Like sport and/or luxury
@joseolarte7424 get real. The c class is a boat compared to its competition. The q50 rs is a trash platform in todays age thats why it lost to a 4 cylinder.
The v6tt is honestly not that bad compared to the v6tt in the previous gen c43 and Audi and models. It’s everything else that holds the car back. The platform is ancient.
Its also way nicer than the Q. And Q's are pretty limited as well if you wanna bring potential hp into it. Built engine, big turbo, and all the goodies and VRs barely cracked the 9's. Thats not good lol
"$30,000 more it better be faster..." WHAT???? That made no sense! It very well could be slower and still $30,000 more because it's a much better quality / tech vehicle ALL around than a Q.
Infiniti has a great engine but they need to get a new transmission. The Q would definitely benefit from a Z1 chip with faster shift points. Both great cars but Infiniti is likely a lot more reliable and costs less to maintain than the Merc
Hey Sam. Always a big fan of your contents. Not many ppl do drag races on a daily basis anymore let alone in Canada. However it’d be nicer to see the video production to be more consistent. Sometimes the video production is very cinematic and has top notch quality, but sometimes the videos looked like they’re kind of a last minute upload and the information about the cars involved in the race was slapped onto the screen like that and often times there’s mistakes (just some small things). For us enthusiasts that know about cars it’s no big deal seeing partial information being presented incorrectly but for some who’s not familiar with the car it’d be misleading. Again, love the contents, still a big fan of yours. Just some personal opinions for your future posts 🫡
Q50 is 12 years old engine and tech. Idiots at Nissan/Infiniti never made anything with the GTR engine or tech. This brand needs to go the Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Isuzu way and be gone soon. So much potential yet nothing substantial. The only reason their brand is alive in Us is due to QX range which is a good buy.
