ACCORDING to common wisdom beauty is in the eye of the beholder - but I defy anyone to take a look at the Infiniti Q60 and not fall a little bit in love.

Representing a welcome return to the sports coupe sector for the premium arm of NIssan, this is one car that could sell on its looks alone.

With a lean and muscular stance, flowing athletic lines and curves in all the right places it drew admiring glances wherever I went during my week behind the wheel.

Lower and wider than the Infiniti G35 and G37 coupes that have gone before, the Q60 hugs the road on imposing 19-inch alloy wheels which sit snugly beneath bulging wheel arches.

Red brake calipers peep out from behind the spokes on range-topping Sport Tech versions such as the one I drove while a recessed grille and chunky twin tailpipes add the finishing touches.

And beneath the long, low bonnet sits a beast of an engine that backs up those dynamic looks with some serious performance.

The three litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine pack kicks out a massive 405ps and, mated to a smooth seven-speed automatic transmission, can fire the Q60 from 0-62mph in five seconds flat and on to a top speed of 155mph.

Power is delivered smoothly and promptly and accompanied by a satisfying note from those tailpipes whenever you put your foot down.

Intelligent all-wheel drive ensures that you stay firmly planted on the road, despite all that oomph, and some cutting-edge technologies ensure sharp and nimble handling.

The second-generation of Infiniti's world-beating Direct Adaptive Steering is an advanced ‘steer-by-wire' system that has been improved significantly and offers fast and accurate responses, while an all-new electronic Dynamic Digital Suspension system monitors body roll, pitch and bounce to deliver a controlled, if slightly firm, ride.

Purists may argue that all these advanced systems rob the Q60 of some of the raw engagement you'd expect from a performance coupe, but personally I prefer the peace of mind they offer when pushing on and still found this a highly enjoyable car to drive.

Steering sensitivity can be manually tweaked by the driver while a five-mode drive selector offers snow, eco, standard, sport and sport+ settings.

You'll want to avoid eco in all but stop/start urban traffic as it robs the car of much of its urgency - but in all honesty I found the differences between the dynamic settings negligible.

The range is split into Premium and Sport grades with upgraded Tech versions of both available but you can only get the 3.0-litre engine on Sport models.

Premium cars are restricted to the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with rear wheel drive and the same automatic transmission as Infiniti, perhaps surprisingly, shuns a diesel option.

The Q60 cabin reflects the comfort and quality you'd expect of a premium coupe with top notch materials finished to a high standard.

There's plenty of room up front but space, especially headroom, is tighter in the back, but this is true of most sports coupes. It's also a definite four-seater, with the gap between the rear seats taken up by cup holders and a storage cubby.

Equipment levels are premium too, with kit included as standard that would mean a trip to the options menu in many of the Q60's mainly-German rivals.

Twin touchscreens to manage the infotainment and other functions are a little gimmicky but are user friendly once you get used to the concept and high-end tech includes satnav, voice recognition, digital radio, 13-speaker premium Bose sound system, heated and electrically adjustable sports seats, climate control and keyless entry and ignition.