2001 Infiniti Qx4 Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Infiniti QX80 refreshed for 2015, range-topping Limited trim added

Alongside the updated Q70, Infiniti has refreshed its fullsize SUV, the QX80, for the 2014 New York Auto Show. Like its freshened sedan, the QX80 is full of incremental styling tweaks typical of a mid-cycle update like this. Also like the Q70, there's a new member of the QX80 family for the 2015 model year.
But first, the overarching changes for the QX80 range. As we said, this is pretty standard fare, with new headlights and taillights and a restyled grille designed to fit the full-sizer in with the most recent Infiniti design language. Full LED headlights, turn signals and fog lights should provide a bit more illumination, while the mesh inserts on the "double-arch" grille remind us of the Q50. Still, this is a rather bulbous, inelegant piece of design in our eyes. Out back, the shape of the taillights has been tweaked, and they now sport LED illumination. The new rear bumper is larger, as well.
In the cabin, upgrades are similarly sparse. There are a few new tech items, like automatic high beams and predictive forward collision warning. Overall, though, this is the same wood-and-leather-lined cabin Infiniti has been selling for the past few years.

2014 Infiniti Q50S

Ten years ago, nearly to the day, I took delivery of a brand-new 2004 Infiniti G35 6MT. The sporty rear-wheel drive sedan, equipped with its throaty 260-horsepower V6, slick manual gearbox and limited-slip differential replaced my 2001 BMW 330i because the Japanese competitor touted a product that was roomier, better equipped, quicker and lower priced. The G35 trumped the German in nearly every measurable category - at least on paper.
The 2014 Infiniti Q50 is the direct descendant, albeit two generations later, of the car I owned a decade ago. It is dimensionally about the same size, but it has gained more than 300 pounds of mass thanks to numerous safety upgrades and technical innovations. The additional weight is largely dismissed by a larger and more efficient powerplant that delivers an additional 68 horsepower, a welcome arrival, but the manual gearbox that charmed enthusiasts has been pushed out of the picture by a mandatory seven-speed automatic transmission.
As it has in the past, Infiniti touts its all-new Q50 as a luxury sport sedan worthy of the title. Decades ago, impressive performance statistics may have sealed the deal. Yet there is much more to the assignment today, as the model must offer premium appointments, sophistication and engaging driving dynamics if it's going to entice and capture the next-generation of young, premium buyers - much like the G35 did for me ten years ago.

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.