A weekend with the Infiniti Q50 “IPL”

Aaaah, the joy of shooting cars! I normally get to spend a couple of hours at best to shoot a car, but not in this case – this baby was mine for a whole weekend! It was a no brainer when Chris Visscher from Infiniti Netherlands asked me to do a website and brochure shoot. So without further ado I proudly present to you; The Infiniti Q50 “Inspiration Line”!

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But what makes the “Inspiration Line” different from a standard Q50?
First of all, and this is going to be disappointing for some – it’s only available in The Netherlands. Due to customer demand, the people behind Infiniti Nederland wanted to create the ultimate Q50.

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The whole point was to create what I would call a perfect allrounder. Or as Infiniti Nederland CEO Chris Visscher puts it; “My ideal car has two sides. On one hand I need a daily driver that takes me to my destination in a fast, safe, comfortable way while respecting the environment. The other hand is car that appeals to my sense of perception – a car that brings a smile on my face, is surprisingly quick and challenges me on a track or a curvy road! For me, the Q50 Inspiration Line is the best of both worlds!”

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On to the highlights that distinguish the “Inspiration Line”. Let me start with the wheel / brake combo. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times more; Wheels can make or break a car! Infiniti’s wheel of choice for this model are 20” OZ HLT Ultraleggera rims in “piano black”, which save a total of 40(!!) kilo’s compared to the standard wheels. More often than not you see a car with big wheels but with small, stock brakes – not here though! A set of specially developed two piece, floating disks made it’s way to the front and matched with the six pot Brembo big brake kit makes it a sight for sore eyes.

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The 20” OZ HLT Ultraleggera rims come in staggered setup, measuring 9J at the front and 10J in the rear, which in my opinion fill the wide, flowing hips right up.
As standard the Q50 is equipped with independent suspension with double wishbones, however the Inspiration line is fitted with adjustable Intrax Racing suspension!
You can adjust the suspension with just one button, adjusting it to whatever conditions you desire.

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Further highlights are the rear diffuser, which really sets off the back of the car in my opinion…

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… and the front grill and splitter, again in “piano black”.

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The interior has been treated to an alcantara and leather combination. The seats, doorposts, center console and steering wheel have all been wrapped in the softest of alcantara with contrasting stitching…

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… Something that looks particularly good on the gear knob and centre console.
It all just breathes luxury and comfort…

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… Yet the seats provide excellent support when the car is driven hard on a twisty road!

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Chris asked me to do him a favor and keep the Monday morning after the shoot free too, as he wanted some more shots inside the Amsterdam Rai where preparations for the Autorai were in full effect.

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I was told there was something special that would arrive that morning and something special is quite an understatement!

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They asked If I could take some shots of the Q50 “IPL” together with the Red Bull 2013/2014 RB9 Formula 1 car…

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Well, who am I to say no, right?!

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So, to conclude this article, what kind of car is the Infiniti Q50 “Inspiration Line”?
As mentioned in the beginning of the article, the whole point was to create a perfect allrounder.

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A car with luxury and comfort, that’s economical yet exciting when decide to put the pedal to the metal. I think it’s safe to say that Infiniti succeeded in that goal! It really is a perfect all-rounder.

For more information on the Infiniti Q50 “Inspiration Line” please visit the Infiti website.

– Allard van Grafhorst

BONUS IMAGES
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