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Infiniti Q Inspiration inspires electrified vehicle platform

This year's Detroit Auto Show was a bit light on forward-looking concepts, so the Infiniti Q Inspiration was a highlight, what with it's gorgeous curves and elegant interior. And lucky for us, Infiniti has decided to bring the lovely sedan to production. It will have a substantial difference to the concept, though ... The concept version used the variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder from the QX50, which was a bit of a surprise considering the car's grille was nearly filled in. The production Q Inspiration will eschew the purely internal combustion engine for an electrified powertrain. Infiniti hasn't given any details, but that wording seems to indicate that it will be some kind of hybrid, or — less likely — an EV. Supporting the hybrid theory is the fact that Infiniti plans on putting this new sedan into production within five years. Infiniti has previously announced that its first full EV will launch in 2021, which is just three years out. That being said, we wouldn't preclude the possibility of a full EV Q Inspiration later on, or even a plain internal-combustion model, since the idea behind the original concept was that it could support multiple powertrains. Besides being another vehicle to help Infiniti reach its electrified vehicle sales goals for 2025, it will also be built in China. "We very much had China in mind when designing the Q Inspiration," said Infiniti Chairman and Global President Roland Krueger." Four more Infiniti models will also be built in China following this sedan. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Watch Formula Drift's Chris Forsberg break in a new warehouse

Here are just a few great drift cars: Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Z, Nissan Silvia, and Ford Mustang. One vehicle you won't find on that list, however, is the Infiniti M, because it's a big, heavy luxury car.
It's comfortable, spacious and better to drive than you might expect. And yet, even though it was possible to get one with a very nice 335-horsepower, 4.5-liter V8, it wouldn't be the first car we'd gut and take drifting in an empty warehouse. Formula Drift driver Chris Forsberg didn't get our memo, evidently, which is why we have this video of him flinging a big, white Infiniti through an empty building.
It's an entertaining video, if only because using an M as a drift car is just such a ludicrous sight. Scroll down to watch the entire clip.

Interest in an Infiniti EV is muted, to say the least

More than a quarter-million people have bought an electric vehicle from the Renault-Nissan Alliance. When it comes to Nissan's Infiniti luxury nameplate, though, there's not a lot of confidence. The Alliance doesn't have much hope that the badge will add to that total anytime soon. So says Emirates 24/7 in its report that Infiniti is planning on opening two showrooms in Abu Dhabi. Models such as the QX80 SUV, the Q70 sedan, and the Q50 will be shown off to those looking to live the high life, Infiniti style. But company executives told the publication that no battery-electric Infiniti models would be in the works until at least the end of the decade? The reason? Lack of demand. It's a far cry from three years ago, when a concept version of the Infiniti LE electric vehicle was shown off at the New York Auto Show. The model boasted 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque as well as wireless-charging capabilities. It was about the size of the Infiniti G sedan. At the time, the automaker's executives were estimating that car would hit the market by 2014. Those plans didn't come to fruition, obviously. As for the Alliance, Renault and Nissan celebrated the sale of their 250,000th electric vehicle this past summer. And while the lion's share of those were in the form of the Nissan Leaf, the 250,000th vehicle was actually a Renault Zoe that was bought by a computer engineer in Bordeaux, France. That's a long way from the UAE, and a long way from an Infiniti EV.