2010 Infiniti Fx35 Awd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti QX Inspiration crossover EV is another step toward a grille-less future

Infiniti has released its first image of its Detroit Auto Show concept car, and unsurprisingly, it's electric, and it's a crossover. Also, just as Nissan's design vice president hinted at last year, it pushes the design ideas of the Q Inspiration sedan concept a little farther, and in an arguably more controversial direction. Whereas the Q Inspiration concept had a mostly closed off grille with only a few openings, it was also still set back in a clear grille design. The QX Inspiration concept leaves the entire front end perfectly flush. There are still hints of a grille with metallic trim at the top and bottom that suggest a classic Infiniti grille shape, and the badge and logo float in the middle to further the idea. It's an interesting idea, but the ideas of having a grille and going without seem to be a bit at odds, and the result is a bulbous, flabby nose that doesn't flatter either design philosophy. We suppose it could be worse, though, and it may look better in person. What we don't question is the product type. An electric crossover seems like the exact vehicle the car market is looking for. Infiniti hasn't gone into detail about powertrain specifics besides it using electricity and that it previews future electric platforms. Nissan's design V.P. noted that the company will be introducing more full electric vehicles, and this concept could feature an e-Power series hybrid powertrain in which the gas engine mostly exists as a generator. So it's possible that a future Infiniti crossover EV could be offered in full electric and range-extender variants. We'll have more information and photos when the QX Inspiration makes its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show on January 14. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge racing toward Detroit with Red Bull in its veins

There are several ways an automaker can get into Formula One racing. It can start its own team from scratch (like Toyota did in 2002), it can buy an existing team (like BMW did with Sauber in 2005) or it can supply engines to other teams (as so many manufacturers have done over the years). Infiniti chose another direction and opted to sponsor the world-champion Red Bull Racing team.
Infiniti has undoubtedly poured millions into its partnership with Red Bull since it started in 2011, but aside from the Sebastian Vettel edition FX (which technically emerged from the company's sponsorship of the driver as separate from the team), the tie-in has yet to translate into a Red Bull-tuned (or at least -inspired) Infiniti for the road. But that's just what Nissan's premium brand has in store for us at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January.
Well, almost, because the concept just announced is still a step or two away from reaching your local Infiniti dealership, but here it is just the same. It's called the Q50 Eau Rouge, and it's based on the company's latest tech-laden sports sedan. It takes its name, of course, from the famous uphill section of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit where Sebastian Vettel won the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this year, but Infiniti isn't telling us much more than that.