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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 Brazilian Grand Prix is the same as it ever was

At this point, we hope Nico Rosberg is planning to carry his current qualifying form into the 2016 season and back it up with the same kind of race-day cojones he showed winning the race in Mexico City two weeks ago. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver got it right enough again on Saturday afternoon to take his fifth consecutive pole position ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton by almost a tenth of a second. It's the same one-two from Brazil last year. The bad news for the rest of the field is that the winner in Brazil the last seven years has been one of the two drivers on the front row. Last year it was the Williams duo that lined up behind Mercedes, this year it's Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel plays the stalking horse, securing third in his Ferrari ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen in fourth. Williams driver Valtteri Bottas actually qualified in fourth, but he had to serve a three-spot grid penalty for passing under red flags in Free Practice 2, so he started sixth. That promoted Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg up to fifth. Daniil Kvyat was the quickest representative from Infiniti Red Bull Racing, getting into seventh even with a Renault power unit that's weak on some of the key stretches at the Interlagos track. Felipe Massa had the second Williams in eighth, in front of the second Red Bull driven by Daniel Ricciardo in ninth. Toro Rosso hasn't confirmed its drivers for next year but Max Verstappen keeps making it hard to look elsewhere, taking 10th. Rosberg is working nearly the same trick he pulled last year: drive like a second driver for most of the year, drive like a world champion for the last quarter of a season. He pulled away at the start and covered Hamilton just enough on the run to the first corner to keep Hamilton on the outside. By the end of Turn 1 the German had the lead and didn't give it up for the rest of the race outside of pit stops. Without overwhelming pace to pass and unable to follow closely, Hamilton could do nothing except ask his team for a different strategy to go for the win. When Mercedes told him "No," trying to protect Rosberg's second place in the championship ahead of Vettel, that was the race. Just like last year, Rosberg and Hamilton finished one-two. Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, and Kvyat drove lonely races to finish in positions three through seven.

Infiniti Q30 goes full monty before Frankfurt

Infiniti is finally tearing off the camouflage and showing the world what the Q30 luxury hatchback actually looks like. Set to make a full debut Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15, the five-door marks the entry of the Japanese premium brand into the compact hatch ranks. The company's designers did a fantastic job of bringing the major elements from 2013's concept to the street, though. Like the earlier design, the production Q30 wears Infiniti's rounded rectangle grille and a chrome strip along the edge of the hood. The headlights are also left squinting from the concept. The only major change to the front end is an adjustment to the lower air dam to make it a little more realistic for production. Sadly, Infiniti is only providing this single front three-quarters perspective on the upcoming five-door for now, but check out the C-pillar in the background to spot the similarly pointed design there, as well. The changes are actually more noticeable when comparing the Q30 with its platform-mate, the QX30 compact crossover concept. The hatchback noticeably softens many of the CUVs swoopy lines to be a bit more mainstream. This is especially true along the front where the big air intakes from the QX are made significantly smaller. Production of the Q30 is slated to start in Sunderland, England, by the end of the year. They should actually arrive in showrooms there before the calendar runs out. Still, we're looking forward to Frankfurt for a more complete view of Infiniti's little luxury hatchback. Related Video: INFINITI Q30 PREMIUM ACTIVE COMPACT SET FOR FRANKFURT IAA 2015 PREMIERE Daring, expressive design meets advanced ride and handling performance Category-breaking Q30 faithful to 2013 concept car World premiere for global media September 15th at Frankfurt Motor Show Hong Kong – The first ever Infiniti Q30 Premium Active Compact is ready for its world premiere at the International Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. Featuring Infiniti's iconic design language, the all-new Q30 represents a category-breaking vehicle concept developed for customers seeking urban individuality. Its dynamic drive characteristics provide for Infiniti-typical confident and responsive performance as well as excellent ride and handling. Crafted trims and expressive interiors extend the striking design approach from the exterior into the passenger cabin.