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Infiniti hires Sebastian Vettel as Director of Performance

Remember when, during the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend last November, we told you that Sebastian Vettel had worked with Infiniti on the new G Coupe and that there'd be more of that kind of involvement on the way? It's been made official with the three-time Formula One World Champion being named Infiniti's Director of Performance.
Although the announcement is fresh, Vettel's time on the job isn't, Infiniti saying that Vettel went to Japan, the Nürburgring and the Circuit de Catalunya to assist in the development of the Q50 sedan.
When we spoke to Andreas Sigl, the man in charge of Infiniti's F1 collaboration with Red Bull, about the tie-up he had also said, "Like Mercedes has AMG and BMW has M - whether it's called IPL or not - we want to have something in that space." If the brand is still serious about that, Vettel's chops could help them deliver the kind of performance they'd need as upstarts to challenge the ringleaders of that particular hi-po circus.

2019 Infiniti QX60 Drivers' Notes Review | Past its prime

The 2019 Infiniti QX60 is a three-row crossover from Nissan's luxury brand. It's based on the Nissan Pathfinder, sharing the same basic platform and powertrain. It sits near the top of Infiniti's lineup, above the new QX50 and just below the body-on-frame QX80. That said, the car-based platform underneath the QX60 means its actually more spacious than its truck-based sibling. Power comes solely from a 3.5-liter V6 making 295 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is available, though our tester was a front-wheel drive model. The 2019 QX60 starts $46,795, but our tester has nearly $20,000 worth of options. The $5,000 limited package adds upgraded leather on the seats and steering wheel, dark wood trim, 20-inch wheels and chrome trim on the exterior. The $3,400 proactive package adds safety features like lane-departure warnings, blind-spot monitoring, backup collision intervention and adaptive cruise control. Other options include back-seat entertainment ($2,150), a wifi hotspot ($495) and the $3,500 sensory package (a Bose audio system, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a motion-activated liftgate and a moonroof for the second and third rows). Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I'm immediately struck by the interior. It's quiet and comfortable. The quilted leather on the door panels is almost decadent. Infiniti is really going for it with this kind of interior styling. Some might say it's a little bit much, but generally, I think the company gets it right. Same with the outside. Infiniti tries to make a statement, and this swoopy, creased design is reason enough to buy the QX60. Our tester has the 295-hp V6, which is plenty capable. There's a lot of torque steer with the front-wheel-drive setup. It's kind of fun, but not really the dynamic most buyers are going for it. Overall, I like the QX60. It's big, comfortable, luxurious and powerful. Get AWD, though, as FWD in the snow is a little squirrely in something this large. Road Test Editor Reese Counts: Unlike Greg and Joel, I wasn't bowled over by the interior. I couldn't find a comfortable seating position for the life of me. The bottom cushion wasn't deep enough and the back seemed to protrude out at odd points into my spine. The leather looks and feels OK, but that was my only highlight. The overall interior design looks fat and boring, especially compared to models from Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. Just look at some of the details like the vents and steering wheel.

Infiniti keeps us on our toes for Q50 Eau Rouge

If you've been watching the evolving rapprochement between Infiniti and Red Bull Racing, and have wondered what the point was if the Japanese automaker didn't capitalize on its expensive collaboration with the world-champion Formula One team, then Infiniti may finally have the answer come the Detroit Auto Show next month.
That's where Nissan's premium division is set to unveil the Q50 Eau Rouge concept, a show car set to showcase its F1 involvement in the form of a jazzed-up sports sedan. We still don't have much to go on in terms of what the concept car will actually entail beyond a body kit, but Infiniti has launched a dedicated website for the reveal and with it, this teaser video. It still doesn't tell us much, but it's a cool animation just the same, so check it out below.