2006 Infiniti G35 X Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept SUV may be the most Japanese thing in Detroit

Infiniti is following up its Q Inspiration Concept from the Detroit Auto Show last year with a QX Inspiration Concept for 2019. Unlike the Q Inspiration from last year ( VC-Turbo engine), this one is fully electric. That said, it does sport a similar design language. This QX concept is meant to preview an upcoming midsize electric Infiniti SUV. Since it's powered by an electric powertrain, there's no need for a grille. Infiniti decided to take the opportunity to spell its name out in big and bold letters across the bow instead. The proportions are obviously concept-car-like with a high beltline and squashed rear-end. Straight lines and muscular curves accentuate the car's stance nearly everywhere you look — somehow we still didn't escape the plastic wheel arches breaking up the pretty white paint and surrounding the 22-inch wheels. Related: Infiniti QX Inspiration fails to drive onstage at Detroit Auto Show reveal Etchings on the razor-thin headlamps and throughout the car are designed to look as though lasers did the work. Infiniti emphasizes that it used Japanese "Ma" styling, which puts an emphasis on negative space. Take a look through the photos yourself to see if you think Infiniti succeeded at utilizing the design mantra of "white space" on this SUV. One neat feature you'll easily be able to decipher on the exterior is the use of Japanese red cedar slats on the roof. You can see straight out of the car from inside, and it offers a bit of contrast color-wise. A lot of the magic is contained in the interior of the QX Inspiration, though. The first thing you'll see is the pillar-to-pillar screen that's finished in gold-tinted glass. Remind anyone of Byton? As if that wasn't enough screen, Infiniti also put a screen in the square steering wheel, too. The center console is made using marble, extending all the way back to the rear seats. White, suede rhombus panels serve as the Infiniti's floor that also features gold inlays. Infiniti takes advantage of the electric car benefit of a flat floor for extra interior space — the battery sits low under it. Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept View 24 Photos It also uses the popular concept-car trick of rotating seats to make ingress and egress easier. The same tech was revered in the 1960s. Infiniti says it intentionally left out any technology from the backseat so as to give the cabin a more natural and authentic appearance in pursuing the Japanese appreciation of nature and craftsmanship.

Race recap: 2015 British Grand Prix is a testament to timing

In front of his home crowd, Lewis Hamilton actually had to work for pole position at the British Formula One Grand Prix. The World Champion couldn't get on top of the setup for his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on Friday, lapping behind teammate Nico Rosberg and the two Ferraris. Come Saturday, after a few alterations and a whole lot of wing to clamp down on understeer, Hamilton returned to his regular program at the front, taking pole position by just over a tenth of a second from his teammate. Williams, thought to be headed for another stretch in the weeds a few races ago, showed its best strength all year. The Grove team got both cars on the second row and in front of the Ferraris, Felipe Massa qualifying ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas, but they were eight and nine tenths behind the Mercedes'. Kimi Raikkonen out-qualified Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel for the second time this year, and only the first time in a straight-up battle with two healthy cars. But more than a second behind the two cars at the front, and with two nearly-impossible-to-pass Williams' in front, neither the Finn nor the German is happy with where they are. Daniil Kvyat claimed seventh, his side of the garage at Infiniti Red Bull Racing having got through the weekend to that point without a single complaint about their Renault power unit. Carlos Sainz, Jr. put a single Toro Rosso inside the top ten in eighth position, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg who did the same for Sahara Force India by slotting in ninth. The second Infiniti Red Bull driven by Daniel Ricciardo did have an unspecified engine complaint – his car kept "bleeding power" on the straights – but even so he managed to qualify tenth with his second-fastest lap. The stewards deleted his best lap because he ran three centimeters outside the track limits at Copse, an infraction that stung a few other drivers as well. Up in front, what would sting the Mercedes-AMG Petronas drivers the most was the start. That's when a dearth of grip struck both Hamilton and Rosberg, allowing Massa and Bottas to slide right up the middle between them and take the first two places. The leapfrogging was so surprising that it looked like the Mercedes drivers were giving the Williams drivers a head start. They diced through the first corners, Hamilton sliding past Bottas into second place halfway through the lap. And then the safety car reported for duty.

Infiniti's Palmer announces QX30 small crossover production

The name of the game these days in the luxury marketplace is premium compacts. BMW has the 1 Series and 2 Series, Mercedes the A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA, Audi has the A1 and A3, even Lexus has the CT 200h. Among the last to get in on the action is Infiniti, but that's all about to change.
Nissan's luxury brand has been working towards a premium compact for some time, revealing the Q30 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year and signing a new deal with Daimler to help develop and produce it. Now it seems that both it and a crossover version have been approved for production.
The news comes from Andy Palmer, Nissan's UK-based COO, chairman of Infiniti and one of the company's top executives under CEO Carlos Ghosn. Late last week Palmer tweeted the following: