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Infiniti Q60 Concept a shadowy vision of future coupe

Until now, the Infiniti Q60 has been one of the brand's holdovers from its old naming scheme and previous design ethos, as a rebadged G37 Coupe. Those times are coming to an end though, because we are getting our first glimpse at a Detroit Auto Show-bound concept that previews the next-gen two-door. Infiniti's freshly released teaser shows the sport coupe concept in shadowy silhouette. Based on this photo, we can see that the Q60's design features delicately swooping lines with a touch of hard-edged contrast coming from sharp creases in the body. Portions of it, especially towards the rear, bring a little of the Q80 Inspiration from the Paris Motor Show to mind. A previous rumor suggests this shape is very close to the actual design of the production version. Infiniti subtly reiterates that in its release by saying the concept foreshadows the styling we might see in future products from the luxury automaker. Scroll down to read the concise announcement for the Q60 concept. Infiniti Q60 Concept: The Power of Exhilaration December 12, 2014 Hong Kong – Infiniti today gives an intriguing first look at the premium sports coupe concept to be displayed at the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Muscular lines are revealed in the silhouette of the Q60 Concept: pure, well-defined contours, making the concept's intentions easy to understand at first glance. Overall proportions and full-sized wheels placed out at the corners of Q60 Concept make an unmistakable design statement and add to the exhilaration of the performance coupe. This latest concept builds upon the design language seen on recent Infiniti concept cars, foreshadowing the strong visual consistency to be a key ingredient of products in the future Infiniti lineup. ENDS

Daimler and Nissan to build luxury cars at new plant in Mexico

A few years back, when Daimler was looking for a partner to spread the cost of development of small cars, it agreed to collaborate with Nissan on future products, such as vehicle platforms and drivetrains. The latest development in the collaboration concerns the assembly of small luxury cars for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz at a Nissan plant in Mexico, two unnamed sources told Reuters.
The plant in question, Aguascalientes, is a $2 billion project that will open later this year next to an existing Nissan factory. The upcoming Infiniti Q30 four-door hatchback is expected to be built there, possibly alongside the Mercedes GLA-Class, which is one of several candidates Mercedes is considering to build at this facility, Reuters reports. The GLA will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month, and initial production of the model will take place in Germany. The Q30 could follow a similar path, with assembly starting at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK, and then expanding to Aguascalientes later on.
The underlying platform of the Q30 and GLA, codenamed New Generation Compact Car (NGCC), was developed by Daimler. The Q30 would be the first Infiniti produced under the automakers' agreement. Last year, Nissan agreed to make engines that would find their way into Mercedes and Infiniti vehicles.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"