2006 Infiniti M45 Wrecked Salvage Rebuilder Parts on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti Qs Inspiration shows itself before Auto Shanghai

Infiniti's shown off a bit of the Qs Inspiration concept before debuting the creased contrivance at Auto Shanghai next week. The concept serves a few purposes, the first to reimagine a future for sports sedans on a planet of crossovers and SUVs. The result blends a fastback with high sides that connect low ground clearance below and an elevated seating position above. The Japanese luxury maker is all about sedans, the Qs Inspiration signaling how a carmaker watching the bottom line can maintain its interest in the passe bodystyle. The concept previews a production model, and perhaps the design language and lingo we'll see spreading through the range. We're not sure how the low floor and higher roof work out in the cabin, but Infiniti mentions a "low-mounted powertrain and potent e-AWD system." That's undoubtedly the promise of the "all-new flexible architecture developed to accommodate high-performance electrified powertrains." Production-izing for a non-electric version would mean laying in a grille for the ICE, but an electrified version would have plenty of room for batteries and e-motors. Before that retail model, it's possible we'll see Qs Inspiration cues on the Q50 and Q70 sedans. Take a long gander at the profile and the way the roof slopes, and you'll notice an elongated GT-R glasshouse profile. On top of that, before Infiniti released official photos, a few images leaked from China showing other angles of the concept. The rectangular steering wheel and massive digital dash cluster probably aren't going anywhere beyond Shanghai, but if Infiniti can bring that glass roof to production, that's a win in our book.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

2018 Infiniti QX80 reveals fresh face in Dubai

Infiniti has finally revealed its refresh for the Infiniti QX80 at the Dubai auto show, and it's amazingly mild. Not that we were expecting a particularly wild redesign, since even the QX80 Monograph concept that previewed the SUV still looked similar to the existing vehicle, but this is still a pretty low-key update. The main changes are in the front fascia, which was teased not long ago. It features headlights that sit higher up and inline with the top of the grille. The lights are more slender and swept back, too. The tops of the fenders sit higher as well, providing a more squared-off look, and the side fender vents have a new design. Beyond the nose job, there are hardly any other changes. The taillights are new, and the chrome finish over the license plate extends into them. The rest of the roof, doors, windows, basically all the stuff in the middle of the SUV look pretty much identical to the old QX80. Underneath the skin is more of the same. The interior is the same with the exception of some new materials and colors. Apparently the shift knob is new, too. The powertrain is a carryover as well, featuring the same 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 with either two- or four-wheel drive. The QX80 has one other somewhat noteworthy change, and that's the price. Base price on the two- and four-wheel-drive QX80 models increases $900 over last year's to $65,745 and $68,845 respectively. The new QX80 goes on sale by the end of this year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Infiniti QX80 View 27 Photos Image Credit: Infiniti Infiniti SUV Luxury dubai motor show infiniti qx80