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2023 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Black Opal steals Midnight Purple thunder

The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 gets a special wardrobe option for 2023, a Black Opal iridescent paint job that shifts from black to blue to green to purple depending on the light and viewing angle. The paint is matched with satin black badging and an exposed carbon fiber decklid spoiler, accessories certain to suit any of the color-shifted hues. Grouped into a Black Opal Edition Package, the styling upgrade adds $2,200 to the price of the Q50 Red Sport 400 that starts at $59,575 before options. The inclusion of the word "Edition" is the clue to this being sold in limited numbers. Infiniti didn't say how many would be offered for our market, but based on the historical connections Infiniti is making with this, we expect it won't be more than a few hundred. Black Opal on the Q50 wants to trace its lineage to the now legendary Midnight Purple II, a color introduced on the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R in 1998. Quick history lesson: There was a Midnight Purple that first appeared on the R33 GT-R, known as Midnight Purple I or by its paint code LP2, but it was solid metallic purple. Nissan introduced the iridescence with Midnight Purple II (LV4) with a blue-green color shift on the R34 GT-R, then did it again with Midnight Purple III (LX0) that shimmered blue-orange. All three were limited editions, and all three get huge money at auction now. Nissan let loose an R35 GT-R with a Midnight Opal paint job for the 2014 model year, restricted to 100 units worldwide. The redux came for the 2022 model year with the GT-R T-spec that could be had in Midnight Purple, also limited.    That's where the Black Opal Edition Q50 Red Sport 400 gets its mojo from. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque doesn't hurt, either.

Infiniti serves up ‘Carigami’ models to ease coronavirus quarantine boredom

To the list of things car enthusiasts can do to combat coronavirus quarantine boredom, or keep their restless kids diverted, Inifiniti is serving up what it’s calling “Carigami.” ItÂ’s exactly what it sounds like: origami for cars, more or less. Three models are offered — the Q50 sedan, QX80 SUV and the now-discontinued FX crossover — all in 1:27 scale. All you need is a printer and paper, a craft knife and some glue. ItÂ’s not the first time Nissan has turned to the Japanese art form, having commissioned a full-scale origami version of the Juke on its fifth anniversary in 2015. Outside the Nissan realm, we also recently saw a downloadable origami version of the Tesla Cybertruck. You can download all three Infiniti templates and instructions at Infiniti.com. We especially dig the use of a record turntable as a way to replicate the life-size design turntable automakers display new models on at auto shows.

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.