2013 Infiniti G37 Convertible, Salvage, Damaged, Loaded on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Next Infiniti FX to gain interior volume

The Infiniti FX, soon to be renamed QX70 thanks to the Japanese brand's convoluted naming scheme, is currently in the midst of its second-generation. And while we like the compact, sporty crossover's driving character a lot, it lacks the "utility" part of the CUV moniker. That lack of cabin space will be addressed in the future, though.
Automotive News recently sat down with Nissan's global design boss, Shiro Nakamura, to talk about the future of what he called "the icon of Infiniti." And while Nakamura-san admitted the FX/QX70's worth to the brand, its sales have long been something of a disappointment. "Exterior and styling-wise, it's very strong as an icon. But to be honest, its sales volume has not been as big as we wanted," a reality Nakamura believes is due largely to its tight cabin relative to its competition.
Finding the right balance might be difficult, though. The FX/QX70 is selling extremely well in both China and Russia, according to Nakamura, because of its looks. Altering that style in order to increase interior space risks alienating a new and important group of buyers for Infiniti. The designer put it best when he told AN, " It is selling well in China and Russia because it stands out. So we want to maintain that striking look." As it stands, we'll likely be living with the current vehicle for a few more years - AN doesn't expect the third-generation of the FX/QX70 to arrive until 2015 or 2016.

2018 Infiniti QX80 reveals fresh face in Dubai

Infiniti has finally revealed its refresh for the Infiniti QX80 at the Dubai auto show, and it's amazingly mild. Not that we were expecting a particularly wild redesign, since even the QX80 Monograph concept that previewed the SUV still looked similar to the existing vehicle, but this is still a pretty low-key update. The main changes are in the front fascia, which was teased not long ago. It features headlights that sit higher up and inline with the top of the grille. The lights are more slender and swept back, too. The tops of the fenders sit higher as well, providing a more squared-off look, and the side fender vents have a new design. Beyond the nose job, there are hardly any other changes. The taillights are new, and the chrome finish over the license plate extends into them. The rest of the roof, doors, windows, basically all the stuff in the middle of the SUV look pretty much identical to the old QX80. Underneath the skin is more of the same. The interior is the same with the exception of some new materials and colors. Apparently the shift knob is new, too. The powertrain is a carryover as well, featuring the same 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 with either two- or four-wheel drive. The QX80 has one other somewhat noteworthy change, and that's the price. Base price on the two- and four-wheel-drive QX80 models increases $900 over last year's to $65,745 and $68,845 respectively. The new QX80 goes on sale by the end of this year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Infiniti QX80 View 27 Photos Image Credit: Infiniti Infiniti SUV Luxury dubai motor show infiniti qx80

Recharge Wrap-up: Q50 Hybrid video, Iran's biodiesel weed

A new video from Infiniti showcases the Q50 Hybrid's kinetic energy recovery technology, borrowed from Formula One. The video details what is going on inside both the Q50 Hybrid and the racecar when it gathers energy to store for later use, offering better performance than an internal combustion engine alone. In the Q50 Hybrid, that electric energy helps the car accelerate from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. The video also serves to highlight the relationship between racing innovation and performance and efficiency improvements in production vehicles. See the video above. The 2015 Toyota Prius C has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The compact hybrid, updated for the 2015 model year, has been upgraded from a "poor" to "acceptable" rating in the small overlap crash test, placing it on the Top Safety Pick list. Beginning in the 2016 model year, cars will have to score a "good" rating on the test to make the list, which means further improvements will be necessary if Toyota wants the Prius C to maintain its safety status with the IIHS. Read more at Green Car Reports. A couple in Tennessee have been found guilty of scamming the state in a fake biodiesel scheme. John and Lisa Brichetto's Northington Energy LLC received a state loan to produce biodiesel in 2011, but the facility never started production and was later foreclosed upon. In addition to the $142,215 the Brichettos defrauded from Tennessee, the state also invested in utilities and roads, while the US Department of Agriculture also paid for site improvements. Read more from the Times Free Press. Researchers in Iran have developed a way to make biodiesel from a weed. Scientists at the Islamic Azad University have created two liters of biomass for biofuel from flixweed. Flixweed, also called herb-Sophia and tansy mustard, is a non-edible weed that grows in various climates with little to no effort. It was found to contain 22 percent oil and fatty acids, and the biomass contains oxygenated chemical components. "This issue is important because the atomic oxygen in the fuel of a car directly cuts exhaust and the dangerous carbon monoxide and cancerous particles suspended in air," says Mehdi Alami, a chemistry graduate working on the project. Read more at Press TV.