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Q50 Eau Rouge to kick off series of performance Infinitis

Infiniti is desperate to position itself as a brand for performance enthusiast. It's tried to create that impression by attaching its name to the Red Bull Racing team, by sprucing up the G37 Coupe and G37 Convertible as part of its lack-luster Infiniti Performance Line, and by bringing Sebastian Vettel on board to create a special edition FX crossover. But the Japanese luxury brand knows it's going to need something more comprehensive if it's going to go up against BMW and its M models, Mercedes and its AMGs, or Audi and its Quattro GmbH-tuned RS range.
That's why the Q50 Eau Rouge concept unveiled just last week at the Detroit Auto Show was so important to the marque. But Infiniti has more in store than just a concept. Nissan desires to put the Q50 Eau Rouge - named after the notoriously challenging turn at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium - into production with a 500-horsepower engine. But in speaking to Automotive News, Infiniti chief Johan de Nysschen hinted at more good news to come.
That could include a performance version of a new flagship sedan Infiniti is said to be working on, positioned above the current Q70 to fill the void left by the discontinued Q45 that capped the brand's range before it shifted its entire naming scheme behind it. The flagship sedan would need some serious muscle to challenge the likes of the Mercedes S63 AMG and Audi S8, but Infiniti seems bent on getting there. To cap it all off, Infiniti has long been rumored to be working on a halo sports car. Whether they'll all carry the Eau Rouge name, the IPL badge or some sort of other designator remains to be seen, but we'll enjoy seeing this development progress.

Infiniti Emerg-E Concept

The Infiniti Emerg-E is a two-place hybrid gasoline-electric concept that made its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. While its sleek shape and stunning styling dropped jaws, those on the green side of things immediately recognized it as a reskinned and updated Lotus 414E - itself a concept based on the Evora that debuted at the same show only two years earlier. Yet there is little wrong with a reworked, Infiniti-badged Lotus boasting 402 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, especially when it features a lightweight, all-aluminum bonded chassis beneath an attractive carbon fiber skin penned by the automaker's Southern California design team.
The hybrid powertrain is all contained aft of the cockpit. Primary propulsion is accomplished with two electric motors, one on each rear wheel, both featuring its own single-speed transmission (this design eliminates the need for a differential and provides electronic torque vectoring control). Energy for the electric motors is stored in a 15-kWh lithium-ion battery placed behind the seats, which is chemically different from the lithium-polymer pack Lotus used in its 414E. Auxiliary propulsion comes from a Lotus-designed, all-aluminum, 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine, rated at 50 horsepower, that serves as a range-extender after the 30-mile life of the battery pack is extinguished. Teamed with an 8.1-gallon fuel tank, the combo allows the Emerg-E to cruise about 300 miles without stopping.
Offered the chance to take the Emerg-E for a quick loop around an autocross course in Southern California, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Infiniti QX80 Monograph concept is fully revealed ahead of New York

The big Infiniti QX80, the largest SUV in the company's range and related to the Nissan Patrol sold around the world, is frankly in need of a facelift. The last time the big lug went under the knife was in 2014, and it was a pretty mild nip and tuck. The aging SUV was never much of a looker anyways, although it is certainly distinct. The Monograph concept, which is coming to the New York Auto Show next week, is a preview of where the QX80 is headed. And as we saw in the teaser last week, this styling direction is an improvement. The headlights migrate higher on the front fascia, making the thing look a little less like a sad porpoise and more like a tech-heavy SUV with serious presence. Some of this is simply concept car fantasy, sure – note the lack of mirrors, a favorite concept car trope that'll be replaced by real mirrors for production. But as Infiniti says, the concept "illustrates how the design of INFINITI's QX80 could evolve". Translation: expect the general shape and overall styling to make it to a production vehicle, unless somehow this concept gets roundly panned at the show. Since it seems to be an inarguable improvement over the current vehicle, the inevitable march towards production seems assured. Related Video: Design/Style New York Auto Show Infiniti SUV Luxury infiniti qx80 infiniti qx80 monograph