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Infiniti all but certain to produce Q50 Eau Rouge [w/video]

These pages are full of projects that automakers have tried to get moving but never quite managed to. And Infiniti has had its fair share, particularly when it comes to high-performance models. It's tried to drum up excitement with the Infiniti Performance Line and with its partnerships with Red Bull Racing and its star driver, but models like the G37 IPL and FX Sebastian Vettel edition never amounted to a real challenge to the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW's M division. There was talk of a sedan version of the Nissan GT-R to wear an Infiniti badge, but those rumors amounted to even less. The Q50 Eau Rouge, however, could finally be the ticket.
The concept debuted at the Detroit Auto Show a few months ago without an engine (or at least not one we were made aware of) but with all manner of carbon-fiber aerodynamic components. It then rolled in to Geneva with the beating heart of the GT-R - a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 tuned to 560 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque - and arrived in Beijing earlier this week in an even more evolved form. And according to the chatter coming out of China (whose financial hub of Hong Kong, incidentally, serves as Infiniti's home base), it's all but certain to be approved for production.
"At this stage it would take more to stop the car getting made than to start things," says Auto Express, citing an unnamed source. The finished product would look much like the versions we've seen until now, and while it would be available in an array of colors, that metallic blood red could emerge as Infinit's signature performance color.

Nissan and Infiniti recall 1.2 million vehicles because backup camera might go blank

Nissan North America has issued a recall for more than 1.2 million vehicles due to the ability to change backup camera settings to the point where there is no image in the display. The recall, which was filed with NHTSA on Sept. 12, 2019, includes cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, vans, and coupes across both the Nissan and Infiniti lineups.  Reported by Automotive News, NHTSA recall No. 19V654000 affects a total of 1,228,830 vehicles across two brand lineups and more than two dozen models. It includes the 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Versa Note, Versa sedan; and 2018-2019 Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80. It also lists the 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxis, as well as the 2019 Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, and Q70L. According to the recall, it is possible to adjust the backup camera and display settings "such that the rearview image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse." Although this type of occurrence would be extremely rare and most likely a mistake made by the driver, its real possibility means all of these cars are technically breaking the law. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, "Rear Visibility," says so. According to Automotive News, this recall is not limited to the United States and also affects vehicles in Canada, South Korea, and Israel. The recall begins Oct. 19, 2019, and Nissan will provide affected customers with a free software update to fix the issue.        

Infiniti QX30 Concept is ready to join the compact crossover fray

Today, the compact crossover market is an automotive Klondike. Automakers are scrambling to stake their claim on an increasingly segmented, increasingly valuable landscape. That's especially true in the premium market, where every Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Lexus NX and Buick Encore sold takes up a piece of market share that requires a great deal of effort for another automaker, in this case Infiniti, to reclaim. That makes the new QX30 Concept, debuting this week at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, an extremely important vehicle for the Nissan-owned brand. The QX30 Concept has already been "earmarked for production" and will be launched next year, according to Infiniti. When that happens, we'll see a compact CUV with toned down styling from the vehicle shown here, much like the upcoming Q30 production model. It's fair to say the looks of the QX30 are in direct opposition to those of the aforementioned Lexus NX. Where that car is sharp and angular, Infiniti's designers emphasized the "spontaneous and fluid" look of the new concept. Infiniti's most recent, Q50-inspired design language works nicely in a compact CUV form factor. The double-arch grille and its flanking headlights give the QX30 a refined, almost predatory look. That, as it turns out, is intentional. "The Q30 Concept was like a panther, lithe and slender. We transformed the QX30 Concept into a mountain lion, strong and muscular," Infiniti's Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa said in a statement. The strong, wavy character lines in the profile lead into the short, chopped rear overhangs. Above the beltline, the rear window is raked forward aggressively, lending the QX30 a coupe-like profile. In the cabin, we can already see the makings of a production car's interior, with two strong material choices – dark brown and blue leather – highlighting the dash. On the concept, purple accent lighting is emitted from the center stack's controls, while the violet shade carries over into what looks like a digital instrument cluster and the speaker surrounds in the doors. Sections of quilted leather on the seats, meanwhile, look very nice, but we doubt they will make it to production on what is ultimately going to be a reasonably priced vehicle.