The 400-hp engine is plenty strong, getting the Q50S to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, quicker than a BMW 340i and a Cadillac CTS Vsport and matching the last Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport (now replaced by the C43) we tested. This VR engine is loosely related to the old 3.7-liter VQ, which justly earned a reputation for harshness across its rev range. The new VR still lacks smoothness, but only near its 7000-rpm redline. At low rpm, the engine does an excellent impression of a velvety inline-six, and turbo lag is virtually nonexistent. With an EPA combined fuel-economy rating of 22 mpg, which also happens to be what we averaged, the 400 beats the old VQ’s mark of 21 by just 1 mpg.

Our curiosity with Infiniti’s Direct Adaptive Steer (DAS), what the carmaker calls its steer-by-wire system, continues into the second-generation version found here. It adds $1000 to the Red Sport 400’s $48,855 base price. Under normal circumstances, there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack. It made “disconnected steering” a literal term when it launched in 2014. About 15 percent of Q50 buyers opt for DAS, and Infiniti says most actually like it.

Steer-by-wire gives Infiniti engineers a blank sheet when it comes to tuning. From the center-stack menu, one can set steering ratio and effort to one of three modes (stand*ard, sport, or sport-plus). While in sport or sport-plus, one can also alter the steering response, or how the steering reacts just off-center, using one of three sub-modes (default, dynamic, or dynamic-plus), giving the driver seven discrete steering-behavior choices.

And though the big menu means there’s probably something for most behind the Q50’s wheel, we found perfection elusive. Standard mode is numb, the electronics *filtering out all the wheel kickback you’d expect from, say, a pothole. We found sport-plus with the response set to default to do the best impression of a conventional—albeit heavily weighted—electrically assisted steering system. Feedback to the driver remains limited, but there is a smooth transition from on-center to turning, unlike in dynamic or dynamic-plus (which makes the steering darty). And in all modes there is still a disconnect between lateral loading and steering effort, particularly at the limit. Where a normal car’s steering goes light, this tiller’s resistance holds firm.