2008 Infiniti Fx35 Awd Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa resigns, successor to be named

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa tendered his resignation Monday after acknowledging that he had received dubious income and vowed to pass the leadership of the Japanese automaker to a new generation. Board member Yasushi Kimura told reporters at an evening news conference at company headquarters in Yokohama that the board has approved Saikawa's resignation, effective Sept. 16, and a successor will be appointed next month. A search is underway, he added. Calls for Saikawa's resignation, which arose after the arrest last year of his predecessor, Carlos Ghosn, on various financial misconduct allegations, have grown louder after Saikawa acknowledged last week that he had received dubious payments. The income was linked to the stock price of Nissan Motor Co., and he has said his pay got inflated by illicitly adjusting the date for cashing in. The automaker's board met to look into the allegations against Saikawa, as well as other issues related to Ghosn's allegations and corporate ethics at the company. Kimura said the income Saikawa had received was confirmed as "not illegal." Ghosn, who is out on bail and awaiting trial, says he's innocent. Kimura and three other board members, who all have backgrounds outside the company, said their investigation of the scandal over Ghosn's arrest found that alleged misconduct by Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a former board member who was also arrested, had caused 35 billion yen ($350 million) in damage to the company. Nissan will seek a repayment of the damages, Kimura said. The board said about 10 candidates are being considered as a replacement for Saikawa. They did not identify them, but said outsiders and non-Japanese are on the list. Until a successor is decided, Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi will serve as interim chief, the board said. Saikawa has not been charged. "I have been trying to do what needs to be done so that I can pass the baton over as soon as possible," he told reporters earlier in the day, referring to his willingness to leave his job. Saikawa did not appear at the news conference initially, but the four board members who led the event said he would later. Saikawa has said he didn't know about the improprieties, promised to return the money and blamed the system he said Ghosn had created at Nissan for the dubious payments. Japanese media reports said Saikawa had received tens of millions of yen (hundreds of thousands of dollars) in extra compensation.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

2017 Infiniti Q60 Coupe debuts with 400-hp V6

Infiniti killed it with the G35 Coupe in 2002, its second act being the G37 in 2008. The third act has officially begun, the 2017 Q60 Coupe launches today at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. It hasn't strayed far from the concept shown a year ago, the major tweaks being government-approved headlights and side mirrors. Without discussing numbers, Infiniti says the new car is lower and wider than the current Q60, with a lower center of gravity, and it is more powerful and efficient. Much has gone on with the rolling stock, too: tighter wheel gaps, staggered tires on some models, wheels designed to absorb road vibration, and optional 20-inch alloys available for the first time. In the US, there are two engine choices with three levels of output. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 comes with either 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, or 300 hp and 295 lb-ft. In the US that will mean a boost of 70 hp and 80 lb-ft over the 3.7-liter V6 in the current car, and Infiniti estimates a combined fuel economy rating of 22 mpg. The 300-hp unit has a provisional rating of 23 mpg, the increased efficiency down to bodywork shaping and an active shutter behind the grille. A direct-injected, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo is the second engine, getting 208 hp and 258 lb-ft and an estimated 24 mpg in the US. All engines will shift through an adaptive seven-speed automatic transmission. G'bye, manual gearbox. A Drive Mode Selector can dial through six settings, the Customize option throwing up three more individual choices to get the most from the updated internals. The V6 models can be optioned with Infiniti's second-generation Direct Adaptive Steering and brand-new Rack Electronic Power Steering that claims to provide more linear assistance. The four-cylinder comes with a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion setup. Revisions to the base suspension include relocated shock absorbers among a new link layout, and modified shock tuning and bushings. Above that there's a brand new Digital Dynamic Suspension that will come standard on the Sport trim, now with adaptive dampers. Both units should have improved performance thanks to stiffer crossmembers. Finally, the cockpit gets dressed in one of three trims depending on the model, with aluminum or black wood at the entry-level end, carbon fiber at the other end, and silver glass fiber for buyers who choose the white or red leather.