03 Coupe 6-speed Brembo Leather Bose Nav Hid Low Miles 1 Owner Clean Carfax on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti Q50S getting G37's hydraulic steering for 2016

Sometimes, new technology doesn't make things better. Take the march of power steering technology as an example. Electrically assisted systems are in vogue at the moment for their ability to increase fuel efficiency, but tuning them to offer good feedback remains something of a dark art. Some automakers get it, but most don't. The previous hydraulically assisted setups just seem to be inherently more communicative when driven with enthusiasm. And it looks like Infiniti might be learning this lesson the hard way.
In talking with Keith St. Clair, the luxury brand's head of product planning, Car and Driver has learned that the Q50S is probably going to ditch its standard electrically assisted steering in favor of a hydraulic system derived from the old G37, a model soon to be renamed the Q40. The system should make the sedan more engaging behind the wheel, but it still won't help those who tick the option box for Infiniti's controversial Direct Adaptive Steering drive-by-wire system.
According to St. Clair, Infiniti's engineers have heard the complaints of critics and previous G37 owners about the Q50S model's electric steering system, and wanted to see what they could do. They didn't have to go far to figure it out - all it required was taking the steering rack off of a G37 and putting it onto the Q50S. After a little tweaking, "the car is a blast to drive," St. Clair reports. Now, the company is said to be fast-tracking the switch, and it could be ready for the 2016 model year.

2015 Mexican Grand Prix is a lot like old times

The last time Formula One visited Mexico, in 1992, 26 cars powered by eight engine manufacturers (counting Honda and Mugen-Honda separately) lined up on the grid; it would have been nine engine makers but the Brabham-Judd cars failed to qualify. In 1992 Lewis Hamilton was seven years old, Sebastian Vettel was five, Max Verstappen was still five years away from being born. Two of the current Sky Sports F1 commentary team, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert, were drivers. The starting three were Nigel Mansell on pole – 39 years old, this the year he'd win his only World Championship – and Riccardo Patrese both driving Williams-Renault cars, followed by Michael Schumacher in a Benetton-Ford. Only 13 of the 26 starters would finish. The circuit is has been reworked to today's safer standards, the track surface is brand new and slippery, but the atmosphere and packed grandstands haven't changed. Nico Rosberg was another point of consistency, scoring pole position for the fourth race in a row to beat his now-World-Champion teammate Hamilton by almost two-tenths of a second. The last time Rosberg turned pole position into a victory? The Spanish Grand Prix back in May. Vettel locked up third for Ferrari, followed by the Infiniti Red Bull Racing duo of Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. Williams went two-up as well, Valtteri Bottas in sixth ahead of Felipe Massa in seventh. Max Verstappen turned in a great late lap to reserve eighth place, Sergio Perez did all he could in front of his home crowd to get ninth, teammate Nico Hulkenberg the caboose in the top ten. In that 1992 race the first three on the grid finished the race in the same order after Mansell dominated, and it was almost the same in 2015. If Rosberg had driven the whole season like he drove today the Driver's World Championship would still be up for grabs. He got a great start and held his line through the first corner, coming out ahead of Hamilton through the initial kinks, pulling away as soon as he got to the straight. Hamilton was never more than a few seconds behind, but every time the Brit inched closer the German found a few more tenths to keep his distance. The field got bunched up when the Safety Car came out on Lap 53 after Vettel spun and got stuck in the barriers, but Rosberg handled the restart perfectly. Both drivers made small mistakes in the last few laps while driving on the edge, but Rosberg earned a strong victory, crossing the line two seconds ahead of his teammate.

Infiniti Q60 Concept a shadowy vision of future coupe

Until now, the Infiniti Q60 has been one of the brand's holdovers from its old naming scheme and previous design ethos, as a rebadged G37 Coupe. Those times are coming to an end though, because we are getting our first glimpse at a Detroit Auto Show-bound concept that previews the next-gen two-door. Infiniti's freshly released teaser shows the sport coupe concept in shadowy silhouette. Based on this photo, we can see that the Q60's design features delicately swooping lines with a touch of hard-edged contrast coming from sharp creases in the body. Portions of it, especially towards the rear, bring a little of the Q80 Inspiration from the Paris Motor Show to mind. A previous rumor suggests this shape is very close to the actual design of the production version. Infiniti subtly reiterates that in its release by saying the concept foreshadows the styling we might see in future products from the luxury automaker. Scroll down to read the concise announcement for the Q60 concept. Infiniti Q60 Concept: The Power of Exhilaration December 12, 2014 Hong Kong – Infiniti today gives an intriguing first look at the premium sports coupe concept to be displayed at the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Muscular lines are revealed in the silhouette of the Q60 Concept: pure, well-defined contours, making the concept's intentions easy to understand at first glance. Overall proportions and full-sized wheels placed out at the corners of Q60 Concept make an unmistakable design statement and add to the exhilaration of the performance coupe. This latest concept builds upon the design language seen on recent Infiniti concept cars, foreshadowing the strong visual consistency to be a key ingredient of products in the future Infiniti lineup. ENDS