Straightline

Categories: Future Vehicles,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Nissan,Sedans,Tokyo Motor Show

Infiniti officially joined the hybrid race today. The company announced that it will sell a hybrid version of its upcoming M35 sedan starting in the spring of 2011.

The 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid will use a hybrid system developed in-house that combines a 3.5-liter V6 with a single electric motor. The electric motor will assist the gas engine under heavy load applications, but it will also be capable of propelling the car on its own in limited circumstances.

A newly developed lithium-ion battery pack will provide the power for the M35's motor. Infiniti says that it's physically the same size as current battery packs, yet produces twice the power. The pack is also laminated for improved cooling and utilizes manganese positive electrodes for improved long-term reliability. We'll have to take Infiniti's word on that for now.  

Categories: Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans

You've seen the computerized pics Infiniti released at the official "virtual" debut of the redesigned 2011 Infiniti M last month at Pebble Beach. But today we spent some time on public roads with an actual rear-drive 2011 Infiniti M56 and an all-wheel-drive 2011 Infiniti M37x.

We can't tell you how these midsize luxury sedans drive or give you detail specs on them today. But browse through the photos and you'll get a feel for how they look on the road and some of the features they have.

For example, the M56, which gets a 5.6-liter V8 making over 400 hp, is available with a sport package, and our particular M56 Sport wore 20-inch wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires. Navigation system graphics appear to be sharper as well, and the interiors look a little less hard-edge than the current generation.

Although we drove the AWD M37x, there will be certainly be a rear-drive version that slots below that. Look for about 325 hp from its 3.7-liter V6. And expect a 7-speed automatic transmission to be standard on all flavors of the 2011 Infiniti M.

More photos after the jump. Note that the badges are covered on these pre-production cars. The M56 Sport is black with a light interior. The M37x is dark gray with a dark interior.

2011 Infiniti M Sedan: First Look in Monterey

Continue reading On the Street With the 2011 Infiniti M56 and M37x.

Categories: Future Vehicles,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans,Volvo

Updated

We learned in May that the replacement for the current Infiniti QX56 will be a unibody SUV developed in Japan -- quite a change from the U.S.-engineered, body-on-frame truck we have today. Presumably, it will be a bit smaller as well.

It has been suggested that this new SUV might be based on the Nissan Patrol/Safari, but we're skeptical since the Patrol has always used body-on-frame design.

Regardless, a vehicle that seems to be the 2011 Infiniti QX56 debuted at a venue in the Middle East (ha, just kidding) at a dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Some enterprising attendee managed to get two shots before building/Nissan security came and got him. These not-at-all-sharp shots are now all over the web. And there's an unmistakable resemblance to a 2010 Nissan Patrol spy shot that has also been around the web.

Here's the official comment from Infiniti regarding these images: "Infiniti does not comment on future products, although we do have many on the way. In the coming months, Infiniti will provide official information and photos of those future vehicles."

Second image after the jump.

The Car Connection, Autoblog

Continue reading Bootleg Images of the 2011 Infiniti QX56.

Categories: Infiniti,SUVs,Spy Photos

This long list of events is your chance to throw away your inhibitions and lay down some rubber. Some of the track days make you bring your own vehicle, while others provide you with a machine to pilot. Either way, find the right event and brush up on your driving skills by booking some track time at the links below.

Continue reading Hit Up the Track With These Events.

Categories: Audi,BMW,Bentley,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Consumer Track Events,Dodge,Ferrari,Ford,Infiniti,Jaguar,Jeep,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lotus,MINI,Maserati,Mazda,Mitsubishi,Porsche,Saab,Scion,Subaru,Toyota

In our latest installment of best used buys, contributor John Pearley Huffman looks at the very tempting $20K category.

At this price level, we're getting into some real serious cars. We're talking Z06s, M3s, Cobra Mustangs and WRX STis. So it's not an easy decision, but our tips should help point you the right direction.

10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $20,000

Categories: BMW,Chevrolet,Ford,Honda,Infiniti,Mercedes-Benz,Mitsubishi,Nissan,Porsche,Subaru

We got a first look at the 2011 Infiniti M sedan during our trip to the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

This third-generation version of the M sedan retains the current car's proportions, but it tries for a more theatrical look, with more curves and fewer right angles. The nose tries to go low, while the fenders are more pronounced, reflecting a new styling vocabulary introduced by the Infiniti Essence concept car.

Continue reading 2011 Infiniti M Sedan: First Look in Monterey.

Categories: Infiniti,Sedans

Photos by Scott Jacobs

The paint on the Infiniti Essence concept car looks pretty close to molten metal, like a Super Silver Nissan GT-R with 100 more coats of paint. It makes the car vulnerable to almost everything, and anyone who touches the car has to wear special white gloves. The paint, and various other non-production-spec adhesives, also makes the Essence very heat-sensitive, so it will ride to Pebble Beach in a climate-controlled truck.

First, though, it has to come off its pallet. The logistics staff deploys the pallet's built-in ramps (one for each wheel), which enable the Essence's caretaker, Nissan's Andy Parkin, to ease it down the ramp. Controls within the car allow Parkin to raise the front suspension 1.6 inches and the rear 1 inch to the improve the Infiniti's none-too-favorable breakover angle.

Parkin removes his shoes before getting behind the wheel of the Essence, but the one-off concept car starts right up.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading Infiniti Essence Arrives in Los Angeles, Part 2: Don't Touch the Car.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Geneva Motor Show,Infiniti

Photos by Scott Jacobs

Remember the Infiniti Essence? It was the stunning, 592-horsepower concept car from this year's Geneva auto show that had everybody asking, "Is this Infiniti's GT-R?"

We still don't know the answer, but we do know that late last week, the Infiniti Essence arrived in the United States for the very first time -- it's headed to Pebble Beach for the Concours d'Elegance. Inside Line was in Torrance, California, for the official "uncrating." And we have video and photos.

Infiniti had a special crate built just for the Essence, because, well, it had to. At over 77 inches wide (about 3 inches wider than a GT-R), this car won't fit in a standard shipping container. So the Essence travels in its own enormous steel case, and because it's a multi-million-dollar one-off concept, that case is loaded onto a cargo plane rather than an ocean freighter.

It sounds like a lavish existence, but when the Essence shows up in Torrance, all we see is a big gray box strapped down to a flat bed attached to an old International cab. It looks vulnerable. And getting the crate off the truck won't be easy.

Follow the jump for video and more photos.

Continue reading Infiniti Essence Arrives in Los Angeles, Part 1: It Has Its Own Crate.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Geneva Motor Show,Infiniti

Are they trying to be cutting edge, or just saving money? We'll find out when Infiniti unveils its new M sedan in Pebble Beach via three-dimensional computer model.

We'll be on hand to see it live, but you can you can watch too as it will be webcast to the world on Infiniti's website. Press conference starts at 9:30 PM ET on Friday Aug. 14th. 

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Future Vehicles,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans

The annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance has become more than just the world's most exclusive car show. Now it's a marketing opportunity, too. Manufacturers from across the world are now using the event like a late-summer car show complete with world debuts and elaborate press conferences.

Inside Line has now confirmed that the 2010 Infiniti M series sedan will be shown for the first time at an August 14 press conference. No additional details were given, but we assume it will be a finished production quality car, which means a possible on-sale date by the end of this year. We'll know more by this time next month.

Categories: Auto Industry,Future Vehicles,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans

That was the question we set out to answer. And the most logical way to figure it out? Compare the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO to a sedan that we already know can run the numbers.

In this case it was the Infiniti G37. It took first place in out last sport sedan comparison test, besting the BMW 335i and three other top notch competitors. Against the SHO, we used the slightly more luxurious G37 Journey model as its $42K sticker price put it right in line with the SHO's lofty price.

So did Ecoboost meet its match? Or did Ford really turn its latest family sedan into a true performance machine. 

2010 Ford Taurus SHO vs. 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey

Categories: Ford,Infiniti,Luxury Cars,Sedans

Infiniti's G Sedan achieves a near perfect balance between performance and comfort relative to price, and it can be tweaked with some of the best tech available in the entry-level luxury class -- everything from easy iPod integration to advanced safety features. But if the G Sedan has an Achilles heel, it's that many of the car's best electronics require adding expensive, bundled option packages onto the final bill.

On the 2009 G37x AWD Sedan we recently tested (sticker price $43,015), these options spiked the price by more than $7,000. And while you get a lot for that amount of money, you also can get stuck with stuff you don't want, which can tip the tech scale on whether to buy the G37 Sedan or a competitor.

Continue reading Inside Line Technology Review: 2009 Infiniti G37x Sedan.

Categories: Car Tech,Infiniti

If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.

Continue reading Looking for Track Time? Find It Here.

Categories: Audi,BMW,Bentley,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Consumer Track Events,Dodge,Ferrari,Ford,Infiniti,Jaguar,Jeep,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lexus,Lotus,MINI,Maserati,Mazda,Porsche,Saab,Scion,Subaru,Toyota

Infiniti has announced that the G37 hardtop convertible will start at $44,715 (including $865 in destination charge).

That price will get you a G37 Convertible with the 7-speed automatic with manual shift. The 6-speed manual model called, charmingly, the G37 Convertible Sport 6MT is only $50 more.

The Sport Package will set a buyer back either $1,350 or $1,550 -- depending whether the car in question is also equipped with the Premium Package. Nineteen-inch wheels cost an extra $2,200. A Spare Tire Kit is offered for $490, which incidentally is $490 more than it cost me to get a personal spare tire kit. The silliest option is the Illuminated Kick Plates, which will cost a silly person $330.

The base price represents a roughly $7,000 premium over the G37 Coupe, depending on specification. By no coincidence, the Infiniti G37 Convertible with the automatic is also $100 dollars less than a similarly powered 2010 Lexus IS350 Convertible. Game on.

Read Inside Line's Full Test of the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible.

Categories: Convertibles,Infiniti