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This is the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Coupe totally exposed

Right about now, Infiniti's holiday card to Autoblog is going to get "lost in the mail." That's because we're going to spoil the automaker's next big debut nearly two full months ahead of schedule. Oops. What you see above comes from a promotional shoot for the new Q60 coupe. The photos taken here will probably serve as the official images when the new coupe bows in January at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. The look is more or less what we expect, serving as a literal translation of the Q60 coupe concept that debuted last year in Detroit. That means it's darn handsome. The front fascia is bold, with Infiniti's trademark grille dominating the nose. As we predicted in our most recent round of spy photos, the Formula One-inspired front bumper has been ditched in favor of a more conventional unit, likely owing to Infiniti parent Renault-Nissan's pending divorce from the Red Bull Racing team. This is not a bad thing. There was just too much Mercedes-Benz SLK in the concept's front bumper. The pert tail features a remarkably short deck and an aggressive roofline, although we aren't sure how the company's heavily kinked beltline works on a two-door model. The profile is also highlighted by a set of vents just aft of the front axle. Overall, we're finding the new Q60 coupe to be a worthwhile alternative to the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5, Lexus RC, and the upcoming Mercedes C-Class coupe in terms of aesthetics. As previously reported, the most powerful Q60, likely featured here, will be offered with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, 400-horsepower V6. A 2.0-liter turbo pilfered from Mercedes will serve as the base engine. As for the cabin, we unfortunately don't have much to show you (we need to leave something for Infiniti to show in Detroit, right?). We can tell you that the overall cabin should be reminiscent of the Q50 sedan, and the Q60 isn't likely going to depart much from the controls and infotainment on its four-door sibling. Related Video:

F1-inspired, 563-horsepower Infiniti Q60 Project Black S details finally revealed

Despite being first revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti has been quite coy concerning the details of its F1-inspired hybrid super coupe, the Q60 Black S. That ends at this year's Paris Motor Show, where the company has finally spilled specific information about the car. It's technologically fascinating, even if the on-paper performance doesn't sound all that shocking. Total power output of the concept, now called Q60 Project Black S, is 563 horsepower, with final torque figures yet to be announced. That power comes from a combination of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 found in the Q60 Red Sport 400, along with a trio of motor-generator units that have similar functionality as those found in the Renault Sport F1 car's KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). One large one is connected to the rear axle and generates electricity under deceleration like most hybrids, and it can deliver 160 horsepower under acceleration. The other two motor-generators are coupled to the turbochargers. They generate power under acceleration as the turbines spin. They also act as an electrical anti-lag system, spinning up the turbines when hitting the throttle again after it has been closed in order to provide maximum boost immediately. Power for and from these motor-generators is stored in a 4.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All the powertrain's power goes through a seven-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential. The company claims it can hit 62 mph in under 4 seconds. One of the advantages of this powertrain is that electricity is generated both on acceleration and deceleration, which helps maintain battery charge so the motor assistance can be used more of the time. How aggressive the car is with the electrical boost is determined by which mode the vehicle is in, Road, Quali (for qualifying), or Race. Road is the most conservative, whereas Quali is the most aggressive. The reason for this is that if you're qualifying, you have to go the fastest you can in a short amount of time. A digital simulation of the car running a lap in Quali mode at Circuit de Catalunya estimated it would use 15 percent of the battery charge. That means it could do a little over six laps in that mode and maintain full use of its electrical assists. Race mode conserves battery life more, since you'll want that power over the course of the race. A downside to the Project Black S hybrid system is that it's really heavy.

New details emerge on Inifiniti QX50’s unique new variable-compression engine

Infiniti will release the world's first production variable-compression engine when it releases the 2019 QX50 midsize SUV sometime next year. Now we have some new details on the innovative new engine, which Infiniti is calling VC-T, for Variable Compression Turbo, after the luxury brand offered a prototype test drive. We wrote extensively about the complicated technology underpinning the new engine last year. It's the latest novel development that could represent a range-extender, if you will, for the embattled internal combustion engine in an era when automakers and governments are shifting their focus to electric vehicles. The VC-T is a new inline-four, 2.0-liter that combines the power of a high-performance turbo gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel engine, but without the latter's notorious emissions. It features the ability to seamlessly raise or lower the stroke of the pistons in the combustion chamber, depending on the driving conditions it detects and inputs from the driver, to select the best compression ratio—anywhere between 8:1, typical for high-performance engines, and 14:1 for high efficiency. In essence, it delivers the performance of a V6 but is much more efficient, with improved fuel efficiency of between 10 to 15 percent with its best competitors, per Car and Driver. You can view how it works in motion via the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It's also quieter, more lightweight and compact than V6 engines with comparable power outputs, estimated at 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. In a prototype test drive, Car and Driver writes that the engine "felt very conventional" and responsive, with strong and smooth acceleration. "The only indication you have that the compression ratio is changing is from an indicator in the instrument cluster next to the boost gauge." The engine is expected to deliver fuel economy gains of 27 percent in combined city-highway EPA rating over the outgoing QX50, which had a 3.7-liter V6. The 2019 model, fitted with the VC-T, should get about 26 mpg in combined fuel economy, and it will get to 60 mph almost one second faster than its four-cylinder counterparts, Nissan's chief powertrain engineer, Shinichi Kiga, told Automotive News. The VC-T engine is the result of 20 years of development spanning more than 100 prototypes and around 300 patents at Nissan.