2005 Infiniti Fx45 Base Sport Utility 4-door 4.5l on 2040-cars

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Race Recap: 2015 Canadian F1 Grand Prix is better behind the front

As of Saturday afternoon in Montreal, Canada, it was all about the number four. Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on pole position for the fourth time at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and now his tally of pole positions matches his race number: 44. Nico Rosberg lines up beside him, which is the fourth time that particular one-two combo has occurred this season. Ferrari spent three engine development tokens to try and close the gap to Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen making the most of it with third position on the gird. His teammate Sebastian Vettel got the worst of it, however, when the MGU-K unit failed during Q1, leaving him 160 horsepower down and out at the first hurdle. Valtteri Bottas put a revitalized Williams on the grid at fourth, ahead of a Lotus lockout of the third row with Romain Grosjean leading the way in fifth, Pastor Maldonado just beside. Nico Hulkenberg got the first Sahara Force India into seventh – the team is still waiting on the upgraded B car that should be available for Austria – ahead of Daniil Kvyat in the first Infiniti Red Bull Racing and a "pissed off" Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull. Sergio Perez made it two Force Indias in the top ten, a welcome result from a team performing below expectations of late. When the lights went out, at the very front it was much ado about not that much at all. Hamilton got away clean and stabbed across the track to close the door for Rosberg, giving Raikkonen a chance to take the inside line into Turn 1 in an attempt to clear Rosberg for second place. That didn't happen, leaving the two Mercedes' to run in grid position for the entire race. It wasn't boring – Rosberg stayed close, rubber-banding the time gap to the leader from a little more than one second to just under four seconds, and Montreal is famous for race-rearranging safety cars and on-track incidents. But none of those occurred, so Hamilton crossed the line 2.285 seconds ahead of Rosberg after 70 laps to earn his fourth victory in Canada and the first-ever victory for the Brackley, UK-based Mercedes team. Valtteri Bottas drove his Williams to third position, the first podium place for the team this year and a welcome salve to heal the team's wounds from a poor showing in Monaco. That placing came courtesy of being in the right place at the right time, which was not far behind Raikkonen when the Ferrari driver spun at the hairpin on Lap 28 after his first pit stop.

The Infiniti Q30 is dead! Long live the Infiniti QX30!

Remember that Infiniti Q30 hatchback we drove last month? It's not coming to the US. But it also is coming to the US. Let us explain. Because of our crossover-obsessed culture, it's easier for automakers to brand new offerings as CUVs rather than hatchbacks. Take one five-door, front-wheel-drive car, add a teensy bit of ground clearance and all-wheel drive, and boom, success! So because the Q30 and ever-so-slightly higher-riding QX30 are so darn similar, Infiniti made the decision to just sell them both under the QX30 name. This might seem stupid to most, but to Infiniti – and the crossover-buying masses – this is actually a pretty logical move. The QX30 arrives in mid-2016. On the base end there's the standard QX30, then there's the lower-riding QX30S, and finally, the higher-than-standard-riding QX30 AWD. They all come with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. They're also practically identical to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLA-Class, except for the swoopy sheetmetal. But even Mercedes sells its cars as two separate model lines. If you're not confused enough yet, feel free to read more in the press release below. Related Video: Infiniti announces QX30 line-up in the AmericasInfiniti QX30 Premium Crossover set to go on sale in mid-2016 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Infiniti today announced the line-up of its all-new QX30 premium active crossover for the United States and Canada. While sharing basic exterior and interior designs, the QX30 line will be offered in three unique versions, each with its own front and rear fascia, wheel design and interior themes: QX30: The crossover's highly sculpted exterior, unique stance and asymmetric cabin design exemplify Infiniti's design-led approach to product development. This version is sold in Europe and other regions outside of the Americas under the Q30 name. In the Americas, this model will be front-wheel drive. QX30S: With a lower stance, aggressive front and rear fascia, cross-drilled front brake rotors, 19-inch wheels and performance tires, the QX30S is the sports version of Infiniti's new premium compact line. It was shown at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show and is sold in other markets as the Q30S. QX30 AWD: With an intelligent all-wheel drive system, slightly higher ride height and off-road inspired front and rear valence panels, the vehicle is able to take on urban, suburban and winding rural roads in all driving conditions.

Lotus could build production versions of Renault Alpine, Infiniti Emerg-E

As with one of those blockbuster three-team NBA trades that actually improves the fortunes of every team involved, a report in Autocar indicates that Renault, Infiniti and Lotus are in talks that could benefit both manufacturers and enthusiasts. Renault is considering a production version of the devil-in-blue Alpine A110-50 concept but has said that it "probably needs more than the Renault-Nissan Alliance on its own." Enter Lotus, whose Evora platform could supply the running bits for the mid-engined Alpine revival.
That same Evora platform, in range-extended 414E concept form, is the basis for the Infiniti Emerg-E concept. Even though a decision hasn't been made on the Emerg-E's production, it is still being developed and the company has admitted that it "could be built in Britain." For its part, Lotus has said that it's ahead of schedule on the Evora 414E, with its 408 horsepower, 738 pound-feet of torque and 30-mile electric range. Development funds from both Renault and Infiniti could help make all three cars a closer possibility.