Instead of telling you what everyone else has and will about the car, we would like to take a different approach to car reviews for all of you enthusiasts out there and we’re going to start with an Infiniti Q70 review. The Infiniti Q70S 5.6 (previously the M56S) is a great car overall. Coming equipped with a 5.6 Liter V8, 20 inch wheels, and Akebono big brakes. The car handles decently for a 2 ton luxury sedan designed to be comfortable, and has ample power to get up and move when you want to. So why does STILLEN find the Q70S interesting? STILLEN has specialized in modifying Nissan/Infiniti Models since 1986 and is recognized as a premium automotive aftermarket manufacturer and distributor. With STILLEN’s experience and reputation, tuning is the only logical course for a car with such a well-developed platform.

Protecting Your Investment

Before we get into talking about performance modifications in our Infiniti Q70 review, we want to make sure owners think about more than just performance parts. To keep your Infiniti Q70 running properly and looking it’s best, it’s also important to make vehicle maintenance and interior/exterior protection a priority. After all, with such a high end car, something that everyone can value is protecting their investment. As such, we always recommend taking your car to a qualified shop or mechanic for regular maintenance. Equally important is regularly washing and waxing your car to protect the exterior. Lastly, we believe protecting your car’s interior is also important. To do this, we recommend WeatherTech Floor Liners, which are an excellent idea for any owner looking for something to protect their carpets against mud, dirt, and general wear and tear.

Infiniti Q70 Review: Uncork the Power

The first thing you think of when you hear 5.6 Liter V8 is power. Now, the Q70S put down some respectable numbers on the STILLEN Dyno; 310 wheel horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. A bit more drive train loss than we would have expected for a car rated at 420 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque, but there is room for improvement. Under full throttle you can definitely feel the torque, but the top end power is a little lacking. The engine feels like it wants to go but there is something holding it back. A quality exhaust system to uncork the extremely quiet and restrictive stock system is a great way to get back some of that top end power that big V8 wants to make. This subsequently brings up another area for improvement on the Q70S (M56S). The exhaust note is very quiet and luxurious, which is not something most enthusiasts are interested in. An aftermarket exhaust system would remedy this very quickly as well (giving you an aggressive note for aggressive driving but maintaining a high end and quite note while crusing). A good option here would be the STILLEN Near Cat-Back M56/Q70 Exhaust. Now, if you are looking for the most power you can get from your Q70 or M56…we could recommend adding a set of K&N Drop In Filters and UpRev Tune to your STILLEN Exhaust.

Enthusiast’s Suspension Improvements

Now the Q70S (M56S) is a real stunner. The stock suspension has a lot of travel which is used to keep ride quality optimal (it is very nice). While this type of suspension soaks up speed bumps like a champ, the high ride height is something many people would like to reduce. Also, with this type of luxury suspension the handing does suffer a bit as this 4000 lb sedan wallows through turns a bit. How would STILLEN solve these two issues? Fortunately this is another modification where you can kill two birds with one stone. There a few good options here to fit your goals and budget. The first option would be a set of lowering springs like the RSR Down Sus Springs. Lowering the center of gravity on the car and firming up the suspension both improve the handling, reduce the body roll, and make the wheel gap a little more refined. Another quality option would be a set of RSR Sport-i or Black-i Coilovers. If you need that extra bit of performance while still lowering the car and maintaining factory like ride quality, this would be a great option. However, for those looking to go the extra mile and really set their car apart, we would recommend the AirREX Digital Air Suspension System. With this system you can set your ride height anywhere you want and adjust it with the click of a button.

Setting the Q70 Apart From the Rest

After suspension, it only makes sense to talk about the wheels. Now the Q70S (M56S) comes with factory 20×9 +43 offset forged wheels made by Rays Engineering. One of the first things any enthusiast would notice is the wheels are far from flush. A relatively inexpensive option for someone who loves their stock wheels and would like to keep them would be some H&R Wheel Spacers. The best option would be 10mm Spacers front and rear to move those wheels out and reduce that “sunk” factory look. One could also go with 10mm Spacers up front and 15mm Spacers in the rear to give it a little bit of a staggered look that is seen on a lot of rear wheel drive sports cars. For owners looking to personalize their Q70S (M56S) a bit more there are some great aftermarket wheel options. With such a large vehicle owners are able to fit either 20 or 22 inch wheels on the car. A great option would be the Vossen VFS-1’s (STILEN Recommends 20 or 22×9 +32 and 20 or 22×10.5 +45 for that flush fit). We all know wheels are one of the biggest modifications that can really set your car apart from the rest.

Brake System Improvements for Enthusiasts

The last thing to address in our Infiniti Q70 review would be the braking performance. Now the Sport model which we tested came equipped with the factory Akebono Sport Calipers. While impressive and very efficient, there is always room for improvement. We feel like a simple performance Brake Pad and Rotor upgrade would take the braking performance from good to great. For rotors, we would upgrade to the STILLEN Cross Drilled and Slotted or J-Hook ® Rotors paired with either STILLEN Performance Brake Pads or Hawk Performance Brake Pads. That extra bite and fade resistance really come in handy for the enthusiast that likes to do some performance oriented driving. Along with that, a GoodRidge Stainless Steel Brake Line upgrade will insure a consistent pedal feel (factory rubber lines can swell under heat and cause the brake pedal to feel mushy) so you can drive and brake with confidence.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the Q70 (M56) is a great tuner platform and we look forward to helping you make your car unique and amazing! With just a few modifications to the Infiniti Q70, you can easily strike the perfect balance between luxury and performance. If you have questions about any of the Infiniti Q70 parts listed above or would like additional information about our suggestions, give one of our performance specialists a call at 866-250-5542 and we will be happy to help you.

NOTE: All the modification listed also apply to the Infiniti M37 and Q70 (3.7). See www.STILLEN.com for more details.