Some students from Tennessee have apparently managed to squeeze Infiniti QX56’s 400 PS V8 engine into a boat.
Guys at Infiniti have looking at the car and its amazing power output which gives it great towing capability, and thought why not use that engine to power the boat it’s towing to the sea! So they donated a 2011 QX56 to the Nashville State Community College and they removed its 5.6-liter engine and 7-speed automatic transmission for the project. The rest of the car will be used for their other amusing projects!
The real challenge was to make the engine work outside of the car, which meant using components such as the starter and electronic control unit, as well as removing extraneous systems, such as the power steering pump, which aren’t needed to power a boat. The powertrain also had to be deeply modified to work in the water as well as it works on the road.
With the engine removal completed, the Infiniti QX-powered luxury boat project is now being prepped to debut by next boating season.
“The genesis for the Infiniti QX-powered luxury boat project came about when a group of us were talking about our full-size SUV’s standing as the perfect luxury tow vehicle – capable of carrying tons of weight, and lots of people and their cargo, in style,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “So what better object to tow than a boat custom-outfitted to QX-inspired standards, starting with its powerful but fuel-efficient engine and continuing with semi-aniline leather on the seats, XM® satellite radio system with NavWeather™ and Bose® speakers, and signature Infiniti analog clock.”
“It’s great to involve students from the local community in this project, especially since Infiniti QX engines are manufactured in nearby Decherd, Tennessee,” added Poore. “It’s our hope that someday students in these automotive programs who will learn from the Infiniti QX we donated to the Technical Center will go on to work at our company or Infiniti retailers’ service departments.”
