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Infiniti Synaptiq concept 'spinal lock attachment' makes you one with your car

The theme of this year's LA Design Challenge is "Sensing the future" and asks, "How will cars interact with us in 2029?" Infiniti has kicked off entries in the LA Auto Show's yearly visionary party with its low, wide and versatile Synaptiq concept. Less a car and more of a set of interlocking pieces, the Synaptiq is termed a "universal fuselage pod," a teardrop-shaped capsule with a liquid-crystal canopy that can be fitted to different propulsion devices: a Formula One-like chassis, a desert buggy rig and a jet airframe.
Yet it answers the challenge not by being able to fly through deserts and air, but with its human-machine interface. The driver/pilot wears a Synaptic S.U.I.T. (Symbiotic User Interface Technology) fitted with biometric sensors and synthetic muscles, and through a "spinal lock attachment," he or she is made one with the car.
You gaze upon its gewgaws in the gallery above, and read more about it and other concepts from Acura, CALTY, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peterbilt, Qoros, Subaru and Volkswagen that will vie for the King of the Future title at next week's LA Auto Show.

New Infiniti QX crossover: expect a pretty Q60 on stilts

When the doors open at the Beijing Motor Show later this month, Infiniti will have a new concept to show off dubbed the QX Sport Inspiration. It takes the form of a mid-size sport-ute that could preview the next-generation QX70 crossover. The Japanese luxury automaker isn't giving us much to go on aside from the decidedly enigmatic teaser image above. But we're expecting the crossover concept to follow closely along the stylistic lines of the Q60 coupe concept we saw in Detroit earlier this year – albeit in a taller form with more space inside. And that's no bad thing, considering how sexy that two-door show car was. Infiniti tells us to anticipate such design elements as floating A-pillars and wide wheel arches, giving it a forward-looking and aggressive appearance that will foreshadow the company's next generation of crossovers. Watch this space for more as the Chinese auto expo prepares to open its doors on April 25. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. INFINITI QX SPORT INSPIRATION BREAKS COVER AHEAD OF 2016 BEIJING AUTO SHOW - First glimpse of exciting new SUV concept from Infiniti - Inspired by 'Powerful Elegance' form language - World premiere at 2016 Beijing Auto Show Rolle, Switzerland – Infiniti has revealed a first glimpse of its daring new QX Sport Inspiration, an exploration of the brand's vision for a next-generation, mid-size premium SUV. Inspired by Infiniti's 'Powerful Elegance' design philosophy, the QX Sport Inspiration features the brand's design hallmarks and stands out thanks to its striking design details and sophisticated craftsmanship. The concept rendering illustrates SUV-like proportions highlighted with wide muscular lines reminiscent of the Q60 Concept, floating A-pillars and extra-wide wheel arches. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, commented: "The QX Sport Inspiration expresses a power and purpose that is uniquely Infiniti. With a flowing, natural aesthetic, this concept demonstrates how Infiniti can offer something new and exciting with future QX SUV models." The Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration makes its global debut at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show (press days on April 25/26, public days from April 29 – May 4).

US buyers show little interest in big hybrids

The idea of producing large, luxury-vehicle hybrids is turning into a "what were they thinking?" exercise in futility, USA Today reports. General Motors is discontinuing hybrid versions of the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs, while Mercedes-Benz and Toyota's Lexus division are doing the same with their S-Class hybrid and LS hybrid sedans, respectively. The culprit? Big price increases for fuel economy improvements that border on the unimpressive. Granted, the Escalade hybrid gets 31 percent better fuel economy than the standard version, but that still maps out to a combined fuel-efficiency rating of just 21 miles per gallon. That can be seen as a worthwhile increase, if it didn't cost over $8,000 extra. The 2014 Escalade Hybrid, for example, starts at $74,425 while the non-hybrid can be had for $66,295. Meanwhile, the Lexus full-size hybrid costs $6,000 more than the regular version but only gets 1-2 mpg better combined fuel economy. The result of all these high costs? Low sales. Through April, GM sold 82 of its hybrid SUVs and pickups, down from 541 a year earlier. And the LS hybrid sales were in single-digit territory for April. That isn't stopping Lexus from promoting its hybrids as the right solution (with the wrong facts), though. There are still automakers giving big hybrid vehicles a shot, though. Nissan's Infiniti division is selling a hybrid version of its QX60 and says an impressive 10 percent of QX60 buyers choose the hybrid, which costs just $3,000 more. Looks like money talks. Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac Escalade: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Brandon Turkus / AOL Green Infiniti Lexus Mercedes-Benz Hybrid lexus ls gmc yukon mercedes-benz s-class infiniti qx60 chevrolet tahoe