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Infiniti hires Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance

Remember when, during the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend last November, we told you that Sebastian Vettel had worked with Infiniti on the new G Coupe and that there'd be more of that kind of involvement on the way? It's been made official with the three-time Formula One World Champion being named Infiniti's Director of Performance.
Although the announcement is fresh, Vettel's time on the job isn't, Infiniti saying that Vettel went to Japan, the Nürburgring and the Circuit de Catalunya to assist in the development of the Q50 sedan.
When we spoke to Andreas Sigl, the man in charge of Infiniti's F1 collaboration with Red Bull, about the tie-up he had also said, "Like Mercedes has AMG and BMW has M - whether it's called IPL or not - we want to have something in that space." If the brand is still serious about that, Vettel's chops could help them deliver the kind of performance they'd need as upstarts to challenge the ringleaders of that particular hi-po circus.

Nissan recalling GT-R, Infiniti crossovers over steering column issue

Nissan has discovered a problem with the steering column on some of its higher-end all-wheel-drive vehicles from a few years back, and has issued a recall in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address the issue. The issue revolves around the outer tube on the steering column, which may not be perfectly round. That would put extra stress on the upper steering bearing, which could cause it to fracture, disabling the car's steering ability and potentially leading to a crash. The problem affects Nissan's flagship GT-R supercar – specifically 2009 models manufactured between March 14, 2007, and April 25, 2008) as well as an array of Infiniti crossovers: namely the 2008 EX35 and the 2008-09 FX35 and FX45. In the case of the luxury crossovers, Infiniti dealers are being instructed to replace just the steering shaft, but Nissan dealers will have to replace the entire steering column assembly on the GT-R. All told, the recall is estimated to encompass 16,973 vehicles across the United States. RECALL Subject : Steering Column Tube may be Out of Round Report Receipt Date: FEB 02, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V054000 Component(s): STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 16,973 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2008 Infiniti EX35 vehicles manufactured June 29, 2007, to April 25, 2008, 2009 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2007, to April 16, 2008, and 2009 Nissan GT-R vehicles manufactured March 14, 2007, to April 25, 2008. The steering column outer tube may not be round, resulting in extra stress being applied to the upper steering bearing. This stress may cause the bearing retainer to fracture, creating extra play in the steering wheel or a possible loss of steering. CONSEQUENCE: Extra play in the steering wheel or a loss of steering may increase the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering shaft on the Infiniti EX35, FX35, and FX45 vehicles, and will replace the steering column assembly on the Nissan GT-R vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Infiniti owners may contact customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan owners may contact the GT-R hotline at 1-866-668-1487.

F1-inspired, 563-horsepower Infiniti Q60 Project Black S details finally revealed

Despite being first revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti has been quite coy concerning the details of its F1-inspired hybrid super coupe, the Q60 Black S. That ends at this year's Paris Motor Show, where the company has finally spilled specific information about the car. It's technologically fascinating, even if the on-paper performance doesn't sound all that shocking. Total power output of the concept, now called Q60 Project Black S, is 563 horsepower, with final torque figures yet to be announced. That power comes from a combination of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 found in the Q60 Red Sport 400, along with a trio of motor-generator units that have similar functionality as those found in the Renault Sport F1 car's KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). One large one is connected to the rear axle and generates electricity under deceleration like most hybrids, and it can deliver 160 horsepower under acceleration. The other two motor-generators are coupled to the turbochargers. They generate power under acceleration as the turbines spin. They also act as an electrical anti-lag system, spinning up the turbines when hitting the throttle again after it has been closed in order to provide maximum boost immediately. Power for and from these motor-generators is stored in a 4.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All the powertrain's power goes through a seven-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential. The company claims it can hit 62 mph in under 4 seconds. One of the advantages of this powertrain is that electricity is generated both on acceleration and deceleration, which helps maintain battery charge so the motor assistance can be used more of the time. How aggressive the car is with the electrical boost is determined by which mode the vehicle is in, Road, Quali (for qualifying), or Race. Road is the most conservative, whereas Quali is the most aggressive. The reason for this is that if you're qualifying, you have to go the fastest you can in a short amount of time. A digital simulation of the car running a lap in Quali mode at Circuit de Catalunya estimated it would use 15 percent of the battery charge. That means it could do a little over six laps in that mode and maintain full use of its electrical assists. Race mode conserves battery life more, since you'll want that power over the course of the race. A downside to the Project Black S hybrid system is that it's really heavy.