2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan 6mt (rare)(1 Owner) on 2040-cars

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2025 Infiniti QX80 First Drive Review: So close to being great

NAPA, Calif. – Confession time. I kind of forgot that the Infiniti QX80 exists. Sure, itÂ’s gotten a refresh or two in the past few years, but it's essentially been the same big olÂ’ three-row SUV since 2010. IÂ’m pretty sure I used to call it Fudgie the Whale. Or maybe it was Pudgie the Whale. Like I said, itÂ’s been a minute. Now IÂ’ve gotten a taste of the 2025 QX80 and hey, what do you know, there is a lot to like. The third-generation of the body-on-frame SUV goes big on tech, style and comfort, making it a respectable triple into the right-center gap. However, its ride quality keeps the QX80 from being a home run. FudgieÂ’s V8 was nixed in favor of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Sure, it doesnÂ’t sound quite as good as the older powerplant, but it produces more power and better fuel economy to boot – 18 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 17 with four-wheel drive. The old one managed only 15 mpg with four-wheel drive. With low-mpg numbers like these, thatÂ’s actually a huge difference. The new turbo V6 is well-mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, putting the power down to the rear wheels as standard in Pure and Luxe trims, or all four wheels as an option with those trims or as standard with the higher Sensory and Autograph. There are no complaints about power delivery. It has more than enough grunt for merging and the transmission downshifts readily for easy passing. There are five drive modes as well as a Personal setting, but I spend my time alternating between Standard and Sport. The latter tightens up the steering and powertrain, allowing the SUV to hustle fairly well on a twisty road without much body roll. ItÂ’s no Mercedes-AMG GLS, but starting at under $85,000 including destination, itÂ’s not nearly as expensive either. ItÂ’s when youÂ’re just toddling around town that the ride quality becomes a problem. All but the base Pure trim comes equipped with an “Electronic Air Suspension” and “Dynamic Digital Suspension,” the latter function monitoring the QX80Â’s motions to electronically apply damping forces. This isnÂ’t necessarily anything new in the automotive world, but other manufacturers just do it better. Up and down motions are well-controlled, but IÂ’ve been in row boats with more side-to-side stability. My head gets tossed around like IÂ’m piloting a Jeep on a dusty back road, and all IÂ’m doing is driving the paved streets of Napa Valley, California.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

Infiniti Q50 BTCC ready to race

A few months ago, Infiniti announced it would field its Q50 sedan (or a racing derivative thereof) in the British Touring Car Championship, and now the Japanese automaker has revealed the tin-top racer in its final form as it prepares to roll onto the grid. Like the rest of the BTCC field, the Q50 racer is based on the series Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) regulations. That means it's based on the production model, and not on a control chassis (like the one you'd find in NASCAR) done up to look like the showroom version. It also means a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine driving upwards of 300 horsepower through an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox with AP Racing clutch, throttle by wire and the manufacturer's choice of front- or rear-wheel drive, the latter of which we assume Infiniti has chosen for its touring car. Two examples of the Q50 BTCC will be fielded by Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing, a non-profit venture with proceeds (assuming there are any) going towards the British paratroopers' charity. The team is being run by Derek Palmer Sr, whose son Derek Jr will drive one, with the other piloted by Richard Hawken, and injured paratroopers filling out the pit crew and support staff. The Infiniti Q50 BTCC will be showcased on the Dunlop stand at the Autosport International show in Birmingham this weekend. NEW Q50 BTCC LIVERY AT AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL SHOW Wednesday, 7 January 2015 The recently announced 'Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing' team, which will contest the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship this season, will unveil a new livery for its two NGTC Infiniti Q50 race cars at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham later this week. The new livery on the Q50, being displayed on the Dunlop stand, has been designed by Infiniti's own design team in Paddington London, further enhancing the ongoing partnership of Infiniti with the Mallory Park-based team, which will employ injured ex-Paratroopers to prepare both race cars. Simon Cox, Infiniti Design Director from Infiniti Design London, said "The new Q50 race car livery was developed to contrast against the traditional branding schemes normally associated with the BTCC grid. However, it still retains a high level of visibility, reflecting both the dynamic qualities of the Infiniti Brand along with the performance and striking contours of the Q50 road car.