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'I'm glad he did it': Carole Ghosn slams Japanese justice system

BEIRUT — Carlos and Carole Ghosn, the former first couple of carmaker Nissan, are united again in Beirut. They hold hands in the street and whisper together in a mix of Arabic and French. They kiss. But the pair's most visceral display of unity comes when they talk about Carlos Ghosn's former home. "I'm done with Japan," said Carole Ghosn in an interview with her husband in a private house in Beirut. Two weeks ago, Carlos Ghosn made a dramatic escape from house arrest in Japan, where he was awaiting trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds. He denies all charges. Shortly after Ghosn appeared in Beirut, Japanese authorities issued an arrest warrant for Carole on suspicion of alleged perjury related to the misappropriation charge against her husband. "What they're accusing me of is a bit of a joke," said the 54-year-old Lebanese-American national, who spent many years as a fashion designer in New York and whose children live in the U.S. city.  "I testified for hours and they told me you are free to go, and now, nine months later ... this comes up. They are vindictive. This has nothing to do with the law."   Related: Yamaha warns to stay out of large musical instrument cases after Ghosn escape Ghosn says French ambassador told him: 'Nissan is turning against you'   Carlos Ghosn was even more adamant. "I spent 18 years in Japan; I never suspected this brutality, this lack of fairness, this lack of empathy." Tokyo prosecutors have said his allegations of a conspiracy are false and that he has failed to justify his acts. The plan to flee to his childhood home of Lebanon developed quickly with a small group of people, a "reasonable price" and utter secrecy, he said. "The first rule if you want to do something like is that no member of your family should be aware because they become very anxious," he added. Asked whether she would have dissuaded him from escaping, Carole Ghosn blurted: "Yes!" But then she paused, looked at her husband and added: "No. I mean, actually, let me rephrase. If you told me this at the beginning, I would have said, 'No, of course not. You're going to fight this and prove your innocence.' ... But then, with time, we saw how the prosecutors were behaving ... I said 'Oh my God, my husband is never going to get a fair trial,' and I was desperate." "I'm happy he did it," she said. Japan's justice minister has said Ghosn's escape from his trial could constitute a crime.

Infiniti teases November debut of new QX55 crossover-coupe

Infiniti will officially unveil its new QX55 crossover-coupe via social media on Nov. 11, Nissan's luxury subsidiary announced early Wednesday. Infiniti is calling it a return to the segment which the company helped pioneer when it launched the FX crossover back in 2002.  "With a roofline and visual elements inspired by the iconic Infiniti FX, the QX55’s provocative design will fuse the stance and versatility of a premium midsize crossover with the sleek profile of a sports coupe," Infiniti's announcement said. "Beyond its provocative looks, the QX55 will also feature innovative technologies designed to empower, engage and connect luxury customers to the road ahead." The announcement was accompanied by the above teaser image, which depicts the QX55's tapered liftgate. It's quite a bit more conservative than the previously released design sketch suggested, but certainly looks the part.  The QX55 is one of five new vehicles Infiniti plans to launch in the next three years. It was first teased last August during Monterey Car Week. While Infiniti has been leaning heavily on the heritage of the original FX (which later became the QX70) since releasing that first design sketch, the QX55 will actually have little in common with its spiritual ancestor. While they may share fastback SUV looks, the QX55 will be based on the QX50 — a modern, front-wheel-drive crossover with small, efficient engines. The FX was derived from Infiniti's sport sedans and coupes, and even boasted a V8 option for much of its existence. Production of the new crossover-coupe was slated to begin in June, but was reportedly pushed back due to complications at its production facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The facility is a joint-venture project between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Nissan, and produces several other front- and all-wheel-drive vehicles for both companies.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

2022 Infiniti QX60 to get 295-HP V6, dump CVT for nine-speed auto

Infiniti confirmed Thursday that its redesigned QX60 will ditch its CVT in favor of a newer nine-speed automatic, following its platform cousin, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, in adopting an updated powertrain. Though not officially revealed, it should look mostly identical to the QX60 Monograph concept in these photos.  Putting this powertrain in Infiniti's midsize crossover really shouldn't be much of a surprise. Thanks to Nissan, we've already gotten a sneak peak at it care of the 2022 Pathfinder, which will employ the ZF nine-speed paired to the same 3.5-liter V6. The engine is tuned for an extra 11 horsepower (295 vs. 284) in the Infiniti, but we don't expect significant differences between the two when it comes to their fundamentals. Infiniti hasn't yet confirmed whether the QX60 will be offered in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations, but we have no reason to believe otherwise. The Pathfinder is offered with front-wheel drive standard or an optional, redesigned all-wheel-drive system. It’s a new direct coupling design that can send 50% of available torque to the rear wheels, which Nissan says improves off-road performance. For Infiniti, we expect tuning centered around performance and refinement.  The ZF nine-speed isn't our favorite transmission. Its compact design makes it convenient for all-wheel-drive applications, but its on-road calibration leaves quite a bit to be desired, and many vehicles we've tested with that gearbox have disappointed us with their lack of ultimate refinement and responsiveness. That said, it's still probably an improvement over the CVT, which often seems to merely convert gasoline into unpleasant noises.  "The upcoming, all-new 2022 Infiniti QX60 embraces the tenets of what our brand stands for," said Infiniti Chairman Peyman Kargar in the company's announcement. "Teams from Japan and the U.S. have worked tirelessly to bring the new QX60 to customers as our most refined and advanced three-row crossover yet. The QX60 is a foundation for Infiniti and will bring to life our core philosophies. WeÂ’ll have more to talk about soon, so watch this space." Infiniti promises to formally introduce the 2022 QX60 later this year.