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2025 Infiniti QX80 teased with features from the QX Monograph Concept

Infiniti began talking about its brand turnaround, and how that would affect the flagship QX80 SUV, toward the end of 2022. When the automaker debuted the QX Monograph Concept at last year's Pebble Beach Concours, the QX80 didn't get a mention in the announcement. However, the Monograph's size and lines made it clear where the top line was headed, those lines given a real work to do since designers didn't lean on the crutch of chrome to cheat their way to visual interest. The production QX80 is nearly here, Infiniti ready with the first installment of a teaser campaign in the runup to the SUV's March 20 online debut. The handful of images and a silhouette at the end of the video show plenty of Monograph details will make their way to showrooms as part of the new design language called Artistry in Motion. The video is barely about the vehicle, more about the camouflage pattern best seen in the photos. Infiniti worked with Japanese digital generative artist Kaoru Tanaka to create a pattern for the wrap that's less confusing to the eye than the errant lines and swirls in typical camo, a title card telling us, "[We] believe our artistry in motion is too extraordinary to remain completely hidden."  The photos show the good stuff. The split headlights and "piano key" DRLs from the Monograph are there, so too are flush door handles, a trim identifier. a full-width taillight and a deeply sculpted rear bumper. The QX80 lives on in the fender vent, shorn of chrome, though. One of the marquee features will be a 24-speaker Klipsch audio system that Infiniti showed at CES. And if an image at the dedicated site for the new QX80 is accurate, there will be an illuminated Infiniti badge in the grille and the most ornate puddle lights on the market. Previous reports have a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 displacing the current 5.6-liter V8 under the hood. The V6 is expected to make about 450 horsepower, 50 more than the V8, while being more fuel efficient about it. The menu of changes will likely take the MSRP above the $80,000 mark. After the March 20 debut, the QX80 gets a public debut at the New York Auto Show. Related video:

Interest in an Infiniti EV is muted, to say the least

More than a quarter-million people have bought an electric vehicle from the Renault-Nissan Alliance. When it comes to Nissan's Infiniti luxury nameplate, though, there's not a lot of confidence. The Alliance doesn't have much hope that the badge will add to that total anytime soon. So says Emirates 24/7 in its report that Infiniti is planning on opening two showrooms in Abu Dhabi. Models such as the QX80 SUV, the Q70 sedan, and the Q50 will be shown off to those looking to live the high life, Infiniti style. But company executives told the publication that no battery-electric Infiniti models would be in the works until at least the end of the decade? The reason? Lack of demand. It's a far cry from three years ago, when a concept version of the Infiniti LE electric vehicle was shown off at the New York Auto Show. The model boasted 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque as well as wireless-charging capabilities. It was about the size of the Infiniti G sedan. At the time, the automaker's executives were estimating that car would hit the market by 2014. Those plans didn't come to fruition, obviously. As for the Alliance, Renault and Nissan celebrated the sale of their 250,000th electric vehicle this past summer. And while the lion's share of those were in the form of the Nissan Leaf, the 250,000th vehicle was actually a Renault Zoe that was bought by a computer engineer in Bordeaux, France. That's a long way from the UAE, and a long way from an Infiniti EV.

2015 Mexican Grand Prix is a lot like old times

The last time Formula One visited Mexico, in 1992, 26 cars powered by eight engine manufacturers (counting Honda and Mugen-Honda separately) lined up on the grid; it would have been nine engine makers but the Brabham-Judd cars failed to qualify. In 1992 Lewis Hamilton was seven years old, Sebastian Vettel was five, Max Verstappen was still five years away from being born. Two of the current Sky Sports F1 commentary team, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert, were drivers. The starting three were Nigel Mansell on pole – 39 years old, this the year he'd win his only World Championship – and Riccardo Patrese both driving Williams-Renault cars, followed by Michael Schumacher in a Benetton-Ford. Only 13 of the 26 starters would finish. The circuit is has been reworked to today's safer standards, the track surface is brand new and slippery, but the atmosphere and packed grandstands haven't changed. Nico Rosberg was another point of consistency, scoring pole position for the fourth race in a row to beat his now-World-Champion teammate Hamilton by almost two-tenths of a second. The last time Rosberg turned pole position into a victory? The Spanish Grand Prix back in May. Vettel locked up third for Ferrari, followed by the Infiniti Red Bull Racing duo of Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. Williams went two-up as well, Valtteri Bottas in sixth ahead of Felipe Massa in seventh. Max Verstappen turned in a great late lap to reserve eighth place, Sergio Perez did all he could in front of his home crowd to get ninth, teammate Nico Hulkenberg the caboose in the top ten. In that 1992 race the first three on the grid finished the race in the same order after Mansell dominated, and it was almost the same in 2015. If Rosberg had driven the whole season like he drove today the Driver's World Championship would still be up for grabs. He got a great start and held his line through the first corner, coming out ahead of Hamilton through the initial kinks, pulling away as soon as he got to the straight. Hamilton was never more than a few seconds behind, but every time the Brit inched closer the German found a few more tenths to keep his distance. The field got bunched up when the Safety Car came out on Lap 53 after Vettel spun and got stuck in the barriers, but Rosberg handled the restart perfectly. Both drivers made small mistakes in the last few laps while driving on the edge, but Rosberg earned a strong victory, crossing the line two seconds ahead of his teammate.