Infiniti

Who isn't stoked to show off their new threads? Nothing quite beats the confidence boost we get from a pair of slick shoes, perfect-fitting jeans, or that new band tee getting noticed. The same could be said for the intercooler kit destined for the VR30DDTT. Our prototypes already showed off their cooling abilities on the dyno, but their drab, utilitarian look wasn't inspiring that morale boost. With our production units arriving here at the Mishimoto R&D facility, however, these intercoolers are feeling themselves and confident to post that racy 'fit check.

Our prototype kit'sau natrualelook was done to keep up with our development timeline. We typically use the first production samples off the assembly line to perform our testing, but we wanted to speed things up, so they

Evolution is all about improving over the generations. We hold our ancestors in high regard because they were able to make the first changes, but we use that as a base to improve. It's much the same with the Q50's potent platform. Inherited from the groundbreaking and mind-bending powerhouse that is the R35 GT-R, the Infinitis harness the potential of the derived VR30DDTT to shove you back into your quilted leather bucket seat.

One of the evolutionary hangups that still plagues this everyday GT-R, however, is the intercooler system. We've been hard at work ready to rectify that issue and put our new design to the test on our Dynapack system. 

Already equipped with a host of performance modifications, including an E70 setup, full 3" catless exhaust, performance intakes, and

Evolution for us living organisms is an arduous process. It's a generational operation that can take millions of years for adaptation or improvements to implement fully. Luckily though, we've evolved to the point where our tools and tech reduce the evolution process to our performance machines to a fraction of the time. As a result, we're implementing them in our Q50/Q60 intercooler development.

When we last left off, our prototype intercoolers were a plastic 1:1 scale model of our new design, specifically 3D printed for a real-world fitment check before starting our production. The trouble is that even with the advancement in technology, manufacturing is still a lengthy and costly process, especially when it comes to casting aluminum. Being the sticklers that we are, we wanted to ensure that our intercoolers would perform up to our standards before churning out hundreds of units without slowing down our development process. So, we decided to assemble a set of one-off working prototypes.

Performance is hereditary at Nissan-Infiniti. These Infiniti Q's inherited some traits from the top dog, but only the ones that count. The Nissan GT-R, in all of its "affordable supercar" status, still commands a stratospheric price point while also still being a high-strung, needy performance vehicle. So, Infiniti took that heavy-hitting performance, toughened it up for daily duty, and slapped on a much more attainable price tag. This transformation didn't come without its sacrifices, though, specifically for the intercooling system. We're already on the case to improve the Q platform, but that doesn't happen without a plan.

In our last post we covered all of the shortcomings in the VR30DDTT's air-to-water intercooling system, so now we know exactly where to start. First up is the size of the intercoolers.

Air-to-water intercoolers cram a ton

Innovation has a trickle-down effect, especially in the automotive world. At the top of most OEM lineups, there is a selection of uncompromised performance machines, lavish land yachts, and sometimes a combination of those characteristics, which we commoners could only dream of affording one day. That is until the brands start adapting their cutting-edge tech for the production line. That said, it was only a matter of time before the Nissan GT-R's DNA started permeating through Infiniti's production line, landing right under the hood of the Q50 and Q60 for the perfect balance of comfort and performance potential. We know that the Q's can do much more, and we're already on the case to unlock more power from this platform.

The VR30DDTT isn't the exact powerplant from the mighty GT-R, but

It's finally showtime. The conductor's wand raises, and each section of the mechanical, techno-EDM fusion orchestra that is the Infiniti Q50 starts effortlessly shredding through the notes. Will the less experienced player fold under the pressure where our musical veterans flourish? Let's find out.

Pump it Up

You have to walk before you can run. I'm sure just about everyone's heard that colloquialism before. While it's cliché, it does ring true when it comes to our Infiniti Q50 heat exchanger. Before we see just how strong that new link in the chain is, we want to examine that link by itself.

When you last saw our heat exchanger design, it was just the outer framework of what our engineer had planned, but now those plans have come to fruition. The obvious characteristic that carried over from our last post is the sheer size of our heat exchanger. When compared to the stock unit, we might not have gained much in the way of thickness, but the growth spurt still allowed for a whopping 196% increase in core volume and a 97% bump in external fin surface area.

When you put your foot down in the Q50, or any car for that matter, the force that shoves you back in the seat isn't just the work of one or two things, but rather the wonderous team effort of hundreds of moving parts. From the gears turning, the crank spinning the pistons, to the coolant gushing through the cooling and intercooling systems, this collaboration results in the harmonious sound of the VR warble and powerful forward thrust.

It's no secret that enthusiasts like us want to pile more on to that acceleration. Once we dug into our donor vehicle, we found that the stock heat exchanger can be the weak link in the chain pulling the Q50 forward, and leaves something more to be desired. After some preliminary R&D, we determined just what needs to be done with the heat exchanger to bring it all together.

When you slide into the cushy leather seats of your Q50 or Q60 you become somewhat of an orchestra conductor. Underneath the hood is an ensemble of working instruments, neatly arranged to play the moment you turn the ignition. The VR30DDTT fires up like a roll on the timpani with that characteristic Nissan V6 rumble. The woodwinds whistle as the turbos push boost through the intake, and the bass drops as hard as your foot, interlacing this classic concerto with the modern thump of EDM. It all sounds perfect. But what happens when the notes are off? What happens when one of the violists overheats and faints mid arpeggio? The whole orchestra stumbles and the audience can sense every jumbled note, which isn't much of a good look for the conductor. Heat can have a similar effect on your intercooling system, causing that splendid harmony created by all those working parts to feel a bit out of tune.

Picture this. The year is 2023. You're climbing into your 2016 Q50 on your standard commute to work. It's year seven with your trusty Infiniti, which has kept you riding in style to just about everywhere and still no complaints. Then again, who could have any gripes with the power-packed VR30DDTT and posh cabin as it brings you from point A to point B?

You do notice, however, in the past few months that it might stumble a bit on startup. It's not returning the same fuel efficiency as it once did. The once mighty twin-turbo V6 in your Infiniti feels tired and not quite as peppy as it did the day you drove it off the dealer's lot. This sort of takes the luxury part out of sports luxury sedan and makes you wish that you headed off the inherent issue of