Twin Turbo V6 – One of Ward’s Best Engines

The guts of a vehicle can make all of the difference. No matter how exciting a car may appear, if it doesn’t deliver, it’s often considered a failure – the classic “Iron Duke” Camaro was weighed down by a horsepower-deficient four-cylinder engine, and more recently, Honda’s attempt at recapturing the fun of the CRX in the new CR-Z fell short due to an engine that was lackluster. At INFINITI, the goal is not only to provide a luxury car, but also provide one that is enjoyable and entertaining to drive. The best way to do that? Create an engine that is worthy of being named to Ward’s “10 Best Engines” list.

Introduced into the Q50 sports sedan and Q60 sports coupe models, the VR-Series 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine has been named one of the top ten engines for 2017. Two versions of the engine are offered, a base configuration producing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque or high-performance version turning out 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.

In either configuration, it was noted that the VR-series engine produced smooth, immediate response under acceleration as well as available power throughout the rev range of the engine. Lightweight aluminum construction and low mechanical friction doesn’t just provide increased performance, but also helps to curb noise, vibration, and overall harshness. The immediate response is also aided by a new direct-injection gasoline fueling system that was developed specifically for this engine.

The VR also drew some notice for being an improvement over the previous high-performance Q50 engine, a 3.7-liter V6, by not only being more powerful but also being more fuel efficient. From the 3.7-liter to the VR, the Q50 has seen a 6.7% improvement in fuel economy. Editorial director Dave Zoia was beaming about the V6, saying “Silky smooth, quiet when you want it to be and capable of delivering some pretty respectable fuel economy numbers. We’re thinking the new VR engine just might be a dynasty in the making.”

What is Ward’s 10 Best Engines?

Every year, Ward’s AutoWorld magazine tests a wide variety of vehicles and engines and lists their 10 favorites. While some magazines center on the vehicle as a whole, Ward’s breaks down certain components and compares them – after all, you can have a bad engine in a good car, or a good engine in a car that is undesirable.

Over a two-month testing period, the editors of the magazine evaluate engines against a number of objective and subjective criteria, things such as noise, vibration, and harshness levels, technical relevance, power and torque output, and other basic comparative numbers. There are no instrumented tests done. This year, the field included the ten winners from the previous year, the VR-series twin-turbo, and over 40 new or significantly-improved engines.

To make this short list, the engine must be available in regular-production vehicles on sale in the U.S. market, and must be available in at least one vehicle with a base price of no more than $60,000 in 2015, increasing by $200 every year. This prevents limited-edition engines and supercars from dominating the production-minded, widespread engines.

Ward’s seems to really like the Q50 – this honor for the engine comes close on the heels of Ward’s naming the vehicle as one of its “10 Best User Experiences” for the year. Here at Sawgrass INFINITI we like the Q50 as well, and see it as a driving force for the merging of luxury and sport into the future. Don’t take our word, or Ward’s – stop by our showroom at 5801 Madison Avenue in beautiful Pompano Beach, and take one of our VR-powered engines out for a test drive to see for yourself.