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These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.

Infiniti recalls Q50 and Q70 Hybrid models

Infiniti is issuing three separate recalls for its Q50 Hybrid and Q70 Hybrid and M35 Hybrid covering roughly 13,794 vehicles in North America.
The larger campaign listed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers 5,831 examples of its 2014 Q50 Hybrid (shown above) and 2014 Q70 Hybrid in North America, with 5,412 of those in the US and its territories. According to NHTSA, "due to a software error, the electric motor may stop working while the vehicle is being driven using the electric motor only," creating a "stall-like condition." To fix the fault, the company is reprogramming the motor inverter software, and owners should be contacted in mid-November.
The second recall covers just 890 2014 Q50 Hybrid and 2014 Q70 Hybrid models in North America, with 817 of those residing in the US. It's possible that their transmission housings were damaged during manufacturing, and on affected models, the housing could have a crack that might fracture while driving. Dealers will inspect the transmission and faulty examples will be replaced.

Infiniti Q50 Active Lane control is scarily self-driving

Occasionally, we post videos that require us to tell you not to try something at home. They usually involve some unsafe activity that requires a high-degree of skill and planning to achieve. This video, though, gets a more interesting disclaimer: Don't ever try this. Ever. Never ever. Period. Seriously, don't try it.
Some clowns in Germany decided to put the Infiniti Q50's Active Lane Control system to the test. For those not in the know, ALC can make small adjustments to keep the vehicle in the correct lane, a feature that's just starting to pick up steam. Instead of using it the way you're supposed to - with both hands on the wheel - these guys not only take both hands off the steering, but at one point climb out of the seat while traveling at freeway speeds, just to see how automated the combination of ALC and adaptive cruise control really are.
Yes, we've seen this sort of stunt before, but it was done in extremely controlled circumstances that didn't put the cars, the driver or any other motorists at risk and probably had appropriate emergency personnel on hand should the worst happen.