2006 Infiniti M35 Sport Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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2020 Infiniti QX50 Luggage Test | Not infinity, but enough

The 2020 Infiniti QX50 is a comfortable five-seat luxury crossover that competes with the Audi Q5, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Lexus NX and others. If you’re interested in a QX50, itÂ’s probably got something to do with its impressive, technologically advanced VC-Turbo variable compression engine. It also has sumptuous swales of bodywork, a long list of driver-assist and safety features, and a solidly luxurious interior with a two-screen infotainment setup. The window sticker for the QX50 we drove recently in Essential trim says the seats were leatherette; if true, itÂ’s the most buttery fake leather out there. Still, the engineÂ’s the star. If performance is your only consideration, you can also get the VC-Turbo in the Nissan Altima sedan weighing 400 to 500-plus pounds less and at an MSRP starting $7,500 lower, a price spread that quickly expands as you option up the QX50. But if you want the QX50, itÂ’s probably because itÂ’s a crossover. You want to haul stuff. Which brings us to: luggage test. The QX50 has a cargo capacity of 31.1-31.4 cubic feet behind its raised back seat, which expands to 65.1 cubic feet with the rear seats down. That's more than most in its class, and the QX50Â’s cargo hold certainly looks big and usable enough. To test it, I had six roller suitcases at my disposal. Three would need to be checked at the airport, and one of those is particularly mondo (29x19x11, 26x17x10, 25x16x10). Three others were small enough to carry on (24x14x10, 23x14x11, 22x14x9). Several bags have four wheels that protrude and were counted in the dimensions. I lacked access to RiswickÂ’s wifeÂ’s fancy bag. An asterisk to all our luggage tests: Our crack team of test suitcases is empty. I know someone who can seriously overstuff a soft-sided bag, so depending on how you pack, your results may vary. The QX50 didn't arrive with a cargo cover, so that made things easier. My first stab at loading all those bags seemed promising — five out of six bags fit. Two of the big boys on edge, three carry-ons standing up. That would be one bag for every occupant, but hey, we can do better.  Standing them all up was the easy solution. This fits all six bags, and I'm certain they wouldn't fly forward in a hard stop. But the driver's rear view is impeded. I'd be annoyed to look back at this throughout a long trip. That biggest bag is the biggest offender, so can we just lay that one down? Sure, but we're back to just five bags fitting.

The Nissan Patrol may become America's next Armada

Plausible rumors are swirling that the Nissan Patrol, the Land Cruiser rival sold outside of North America, might come to the US as a replacement for the unrelated Nissan Armada. That large SUV's future was left ambiguous after the news of the Xterra's discontinuation, as Nissan's press release ominously promised information on the Armada "at a later date" without further elaboration. That left us scratching our heads and thinking that, perhaps, it would be quietly killed off in the future. If the rumors are true, it will be. And then it will be reborn. It'll join its old platform-mate, the Infiniti QX80, on the Patrol platform. The QX abandoned its Titan-based platform in 2011, becoming the Patrol-based QX80. So you can think of the Armada as catching up, a few years late. The QX80 was refreshed last year, a mainly cosmetic nip-and-tuck. The Infiniti utilizes the 5.6-liter, 400-hp V8 and a 7-speed auto, so it's a safe bet that this powertrain will make it into the Armada version. Less likely, but plausible, would be the availability of the new powertrains intended for the Titan XD and upcoming lower-grade Titans. The massive SUV market tends to be a bit conservative, so the Cummins diesel V8 that's the sole engine in the Titan XD right now seems unlikely. The forums are abuzz with a photo of what's purported to be a leaked marketing image of the new Armada, so head to this TitanXDForum thread if you'd like to see what that's about. (Spoiler: it looks a lot like the Patrol above, minus some of the Nismo flair.) Related Video:

Infiniti Q80 Inspiration concept is bringing its sexy back to Paris

A little over a month ago, Infiniti hinted at a new concept car it was apparently lining up for the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Then a few weeks ago it showed us a little more. But now, we're getting our best look yet at the new showcar.
Called the Q80 Inspiration, the concept takes the form of a four-door fastback - something along the lines of the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7, but with Infiniti's signature swoopy lines. Created to serve as "a design and technological highlight to which Infiniti's four worldwide design studios will refer regularly in coming years," the Q80 Inspiration may be more design study than pre-production prototype. But the concept is to be taken, according to the statement below, "as clear intent to have an entry into the newly defined premium fastback segment."
Incrementally larger than the Panamera in every dimension but height, the Q80 features a teardrop greenhouse, with four doors opening "portal style" into a four-seat cabin done up in carbon fiber, aluminum and leather. Watch this space for more as Infiniti continues the gradual reveal of its new show car as its debut in Paris approaches apace.