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Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge running prototype driven by Sebastian Vettel

Infiniti's high-performance Q50 Eau Rouge concept might be one of the biggest teases in the current automotive world. It was first shown at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show as a body without an engine. Then, the sports sedan arrived at the Geneva Motor Show with a modified version of the turbocharged V6 from the GT-R under the hood, tuned to 560 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, and with all-wheel drive. However, it was still just a concept. Finally, the Japanese luxury automaker is showing us what the Eau Rouge can do on the road - briefly.
The company brought reigning Formula One champ Sebastian Vettel along to get behind the wheel, for this all-too-short video from the Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK. There's more good news too. While Infiniti isn't saying that it's definitely going to build the Eau Rouge, it is "pressing ahead with the evaluation." More info about these tests will be released at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show at the end of April. Scroll down to watch Vettel drive the Q50 Eau Rouge and read a little more about it.

Infiniti EV delayed to add better tech

An evolution in lithium-ion batteries and "interesting advances in electric technology" are said to be responsible for the delay of Infiniti's electric car, the production version of the LE concept first shown at the New York Auto Show in 2012. At the time of its introduction, Infiniti said we'd have a version we could buy within two years; that timeline became 2015, and now Automotive News Europe reports that it's"still within in our mid-term plan" but officials aren't saying how long the delay will be.
When shown, the LE had a 24kWh lithium-ion battery and a 100kw electric motor producing 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, a 100-mile range and the potential for wireless charging. It isn't clear if the postponement will bring improved specs or perhaps improved packaging and technology - or both. All we have for now is that the new timeframe is "not significantly" beyond the original plan.

Infiniti JX35 QX60 Hybrid confirmed for New York debut

The next Q-ified Infiniti will be making its debut at the New York Auto Show later this month, the QX60 - the crossover formerly known as JX35. And while there aren't many changes to the crossover in terms of design or function, the big news is that Infiniti will be revealing a production hybrid powertrain option for its seven-passenger luxury/utility vehicle.
The QX60 Hybrid uses the same powetrain found in Infiniti's M35h gasoline-electric sedan, which couples a 2.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine with a 15-kilowatt electric motor, running to the wheels via continuously variable transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the QX60 Hybrid will be available, and Infiniti says that the more efficient CUV should be good for around 26 miles per gallon combined - an improvement of five mpg over the current JX35 with its 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6. And because the compact lithium-ion battery will be housed underneath the third row seat, we're told that the hybrid model will still have the same passenger and cargo capacity of the non-hybrid crossover.
This will be the first three-row hybrid CUV offered in the US market, and wrapping it up in a luxury package makes a lot of sense to us, since it could be a good way of cajoling customers into absorbing the extra cost of the more expensive powertrain. (Keyword in that sentence: CUV. After all, the Cadillac Escalade is still currently available as a two-mode hybrid for the 2013 model year.) Infiniti has not released official pricing figures, but says that the hybrid model will represent a roughly $3,000 premium over the standard QX60.