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Infiniti keeps us on our toes for Q50 Eau Rouge

If you've been watching the evolving rapprochement between Infiniti and Red Bull Racing, and have wondered what the point was if the Japanese automaker didn't capitalize on its expensive collaboration with the world-champion Formula One team, then Infiniti may finally have the answer come the Detroit Auto Show next month.
That's where Nissan's premium division is set to unveil the Q50 Eau Rouge concept, a show car set to showcase its F1 involvement in the form of a jazzed-up sports sedan. We still don't have much to go on in terms of what the concept car will actually entail beyond a body kit, but Infiniti has launched a dedicated website for the reveal and with it, this teaser video. It still doesn't tell us much, but it's a cool animation just the same, so check it out below.

Reveling in the reveals: BRZ, Civic, Wrangler, QX55

It’s almost like there should have been an auto show this week. If youÂ’re an enthusiast, you know the week before Thanksgiving is when the Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off. This year, thereÂ’s no L.A. show, at least until next May. But Subaru, Honda, Jeep and Infiniti rolled out significant new products this week, making us almost nostalgic for auto shows. Serendipity, or more likely previously allocated marketing budgets, gave us a familiar feel of new products, even though we couldnÂ’t feel or touch them under the bright lights of the Los Angeles Convention Center. LetÂ’s break them down: 2022 Subaru BRZ 2022 Subaru BRZ View 62 Photos Subaru stuck to basic formula here: The 2022 BRZ remains a rear-wheel drive sports coupe thatÂ’s supremely lightweight, adequately powered and attractive. Subaru debuts its new boxer four-cylinder in the BRZ. ItÂ’s rated at 223 hp and you need to rev all the way to 7,000 rpm to achieve that output. I'd prefer a bit more than the 184 lb-ft of torque the powerplant offers (reasonably low in the band at 3,700 rpm), for some more off-the-line grunt. Say 200 lb-ft, though itÂ’s almost a cliche to argue the BRZ is underpowered.  The outgoing BRZ is one of the purest cars IÂ’ve driven, so rather than harp on the power, which will ultimately be fine, give Subaru props for focusing on chassis improvements to improve rigidity by 60 percent and aid turn-in. Admirably, the curb weight is less than 2,900 pounds, and the manual in Premium trim checks in at the lowest, just 2,815 pounds.  Aesthetically, I like it. ItÂ’s busier than before, and thereÂ’s a lot more going on with the front fascia, wheel arches and fenders. ThereÂ’s a bit of a Porsche vibe up front, which is good, and a bit of a Honda Civic vibe in back (think 2010) thatÂ’s not.  ItÂ’s impressive that Subaru resisted the urge to gratuitously power up the BRZ and remained focused on the essence of its goodness and appeal to enthusiasts. 2021 Jeep Wrangler 392 2021 Jeep? Wrangler Rubicon 392 View 75 Photos What effect will the 2021 Ford Bronco have on the Jeep Wrangler? One school of thought is that it will actually make the Jeep better, and the 2021 Wrangler 392 is proof positive that will be the case. With the Bronco attracting spectacular levels of attention, Jeep could not sit idly by and remain focused on incremental changes. It needed to make a splash.

Infiniti Pebble Beach retro concept is a '50s-inspired electric grand prix car

Infiniti will debut a retro-inspired race car at next week's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that combines the style of classic grand prix open-wheel cars with modern design elements and powertrains. The car should fit right in at Pebble Beach alongside all the vintage machinery from the early days of motorsports. Simply dubbed the Infiniti retro prototype, it is Infiniti's idea of what could have been. Basically, the Japanese automaker imagined that it found a car hidden away for 70 years in southern Japan. They took that old look and married it with the brand's "Powerful Elegance" design language. We only have a couple of photos, but it looks like a sleek silver bullet with narrow-section bias-ply tires. We'll have to wait until next week to see the entire thing, but this teaser has us excited. As expected with any modern concept, the retro prototype eschews an awesome multi-carb gasoline engine in favor of Infiniti's EV technology. It's unclear if the car actually runs, but we'd all love to see this put some laps down at nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Related Video: