2007 Infiniti G35 Sport Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Grand Prix of the Americas, Day 1 Recap: a city arose in the fields, and it was good

The Circuit of the Americas is the miracle in the fields, the track that no one thought would be finished in time to hold its appointed race. But the Texans got past the turmoil, and even though the heavy machinery was still working on dirt roads as July, come November 18 there was a beautiful, and completed, Formula 1 facility for Travis County to call its own. It was dusty, sure. But it was done, and F1 could come to town.
Infiniti, sponsors of Red Bull Racing, invited Autoblog to watch the first grand prix in America since 2007, and the first GP on a dedicated F1 course since the Phoenix street circuit in 1991. Here's a little recap of what we saw and fount out on day one.

Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept SUV may be the most Japanese thing in Detroit

Infiniti is following up its Q Inspiration Concept from the Detroit Auto Show last year with a QX Inspiration Concept for 2019. Unlike the Q Inspiration from last year ( VC-Turbo engine), this one is fully electric. That said, it does sport a similar design language. This QX concept is meant to preview an upcoming midsize electric Infiniti SUV. Since it's powered by an electric powertrain, there's no need for a grille. Infiniti decided to take the opportunity to spell its name out in big and bold letters across the bow instead. The proportions are obviously concept-car-like with a high beltline and squashed rear-end. Straight lines and muscular curves accentuate the car's stance nearly everywhere you look — somehow we still didn't escape the plastic wheel arches breaking up the pretty white paint and surrounding the 22-inch wheels. Related: Infiniti QX Inspiration fails to drive onstage at Detroit Auto Show reveal Etchings on the razor-thin headlamps and throughout the car are designed to look as though lasers did the work. Infiniti emphasizes that it used Japanese "Ma" styling, which puts an emphasis on negative space. Take a look through the photos yourself to see if you think Infiniti succeeded at utilizing the design mantra of "white space" on this SUV. One neat feature you'll easily be able to decipher on the exterior is the use of Japanese red cedar slats on the roof. You can see straight out of the car from inside, and it offers a bit of contrast color-wise. A lot of the magic is contained in the interior of the QX Inspiration, though. The first thing you'll see is the pillar-to-pillar screen that's finished in gold-tinted glass. Remind anyone of Byton? As if that wasn't enough screen, Infiniti also put a screen in the square steering wheel, too. The center console is made using marble, extending all the way back to the rear seats. White, suede rhombus panels serve as the Infiniti's floor that also features gold inlays. Infiniti takes advantage of the electric car benefit of a flat floor for extra interior space — the battery sits low under it. Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept View 24 Photos It also uses the popular concept-car trick of rotating seats to make ingress and egress easier. The same tech was revered in the 1960s. Infiniti says it intentionally left out any technology from the backseat so as to give the cabin a more natural and authentic appearance in pursuing the Japanese appreciation of nature and craftsmanship.

Nissan recovery to focus on U.S., Japan, China markets

Nissan will pull back from Europe and elsewhere to focus on the United States, China and Japan under a plan that represents a new strategic direction for the embattled carmaker, people with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters. The "operational performance plan" is due to be announced on May 28 and goes beyond fixing problems from ousted leader Carlos Ghosn's aggressive expansion drive, the people said. The company's struggles predate the current global economic shutdown. Nissan's 2019 sales slumped severely.  Nissan was already planning to implement what was described as a "do or die" plan in January, before the global coronavirus pandemic froze automotive production and sales worldwide.  Pursuit of market share, particularly in the United States, led to steep discounting and a cheapened brand. Under the new, three-year plan — reported here for the first time — Nissan aims to restore dealer ties and refresh lineups to regain pricing power and profitability, the people told Reuters. "This is not just a cost-cutting plan. We're rationalizing operations, reprioritizing and refocusing our business to plant seeds for the future," one of the people said. The plan also aims to cut competition and expand cooperation with alliance partners, the people said. Nissan will follow Mitsubishi in plug-in electric hybrid vehicle technology, with the smaller peer taking the lead in Asian markets outside China and Japan. France's Renault will likely focus on electrical vehicle technologies and Europe. Nissan and Mitsubishi declined to comment. Renault did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan, led mainly by Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta rather than Nissan's low-key chief executive, Makoto Uchida, is aimed at freeing resources to invest in products and technology for the United States, China and Japan, the people said. "The net effect is even though we reduce our R&D spend this year versus last year and make other savings, we pump those freed-up resources back into core markets and core products," said one of the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak with media on the matter. The plan is likely to take up to two weeks to be finalized, with sales and earnings targets complicated by the anticipated long-term impact on auto sales of government measures worldwide taken to stop the coronavirus outbreak, the people said.