2007 Infiniti M35 Sport, Cooled/heated Seats Bluetooth Will Ship/export Anywhere on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Infiniti QX55 Luggage Test | The price to be paid for a coupe

The Infiniti QX55 is the crossover-coupe version of the QX50, which like other such variants available throughout the industry, chops the roofline and cargo area down to create a "coupe-like" appearance. Obviously, this results in a reduction in cargo capacity, but because that reduction is largely above the back seat line, the actual reduction in usable cargo space isn't as great as you might expect. While carrying a large box or some other tall, bulky thing will be more difficult, smaller items like suitcases won't necessarily be much different since carrying them above the back seat line can reduce or eliminate rear visibility and create a hazard by flying forward while stopping as well. It's for those very reasons I don't stack to the roof in luggage tests. Now, I have not tested the QX50, so I have no point of comparison in that regard. But I have tested a variety of crossover-coupes and the QX55 does indeed share common attributes ... and detriments.  On paper, the Infiniti QX55 has 26.9 cubic-feet of cargo space behind its back seat. That is basically the same as the Audi e-Tron Sportback and a bit less than the Mustang Mach-E and Toyota Venza. The Cayenne Coupe figure just seems inaccurate.  The QX55's back seat reclines, however, so its amount is variable. I do not know where Infiniti set it while doing it's measurement, but I set it for a comfortable degree comparable to most fixed back seats. You can also easily lower the back seat with handles in the cargo area. Both elements are pictured below.  Now, let's get to the bags. As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). Cool, that was easy. All the bags easily fit with minimal Tetrising and ... Oh no. Wait, they don't. Despite all the bags seeming to be clear of the liftgate, the power-closing function got stuck repeatedly. I could slam it shut manually, but that's another no-no here at Luggage Test Portland in order to keep things consistent.  I then Tetrised and Tetrised and Tetrised again. No good, no good, no good. "Boy, what an annoying cargo area," I said to an empty street. This is what eventually worked after the sixth attempt.

Mercedes and Infiniti confirm joint production in Mexico [w/video]

It's official, folks: After initial reports last week indicated that Mercedes-Benz was preparing to begin assembly at the Nissan plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the two parent companies have announced just that. Only instead of using the existing Nissan plant at the site (in operation since 1992), Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have announced a joint venture to build a new one alongside it.
The latest stage in the growing French-German-Japanese collaboration is part of a new collaboration that will see Infiniti and Mercedes jointly develop and build a line of compact premium vehicles, with the first Infiniti models set to roll off the assembly line in 2017 and the first Benzes to follow a year later. Neither party announced exactly which models that would encompass, but Mercedes already has a robust line of small vehicles (including the A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA), and Infiniti has long been toying with the idea of slotting in something smaller below the Q50.
The billion-euro project, split evenly between the two industrial giants, is set to create 5,700 new jobs in Mexico. In addition to the Aguascalientes project, Infiniti and Mercedes are also undertaking joint production of four-cylinder engines (initially for the C-Class and Q50) in Decherd, Tennessee, from which they will be exported around the world. By the time the new factory in Mexico reaches full capacity in 2021, it will have the capability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually. That's on top of the 850,000 vehicles the existing facility is capable of handling.

Red Bull to run TAG Heuer-branded engines next season

After a drawn-out and very public effort to switch to a different engine supplier, Red Bull Racing will once again be running under Renault power next season. Only it won't be labeled as a Renault. Instead, it will be branded by TAG Heuer. Now if you're thinking that TAG Heuer was in the McLaren camp, you were right up until today's announcement. One of McLaren's oldest partners, the watchmaker jumped ship to join up with Red Bull instead, ostensibly replacing Casio as the team's official timekeeper. Now here's where it gets a little tricky: Mansour Ojjeh and his Techniques d'Avant Garde holding company remain a major stakeholder in McLaren. The firm owned Tag Heuer from 1985 to 1999; now its former watch brand is leaving for Red Bull. This isn't the first time that the TAG name has transferred from one F1 team to another, nor is it the first time we'll see its name replace that of a major automaker on an F1 engine. Techniques d'Avant Garde previously partnered with Williams before Ron Dennis took over in Woking and convinced Ojjeh to come on board. That partnership saw TAG work with Porsche on a successful F1 engine program that won three drivers' championships (with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost), two constructors' titles, and 25 grands prix. While unusual, the deal is hardly unprecedented. Aside from the McLaren-TAG-Porsche arrangement, Sauber once ran Ferrari engines under the brand of its sponsor Petronas (which has long since switched to Mercedes). For another example, the 1998 world championship saw Benetton running Renault engines under the Playlife name, while Williams rebranded its version as Mecachrome, as the French automaker shifted its priorities in F1 much as it is right now. The announcement still leaves a few questions unanswered, however. For one, will Red Bull continue running TAG Heuer-branded engines made by Renault (or another supplier) after 2016? And what does this spell for Infiniti, Renault's sister-brand that has sponsored the team for the past several years? Infiniti declined to comment, but we're told there'll be some sort of announcement early next week. Red Bull Racing to drive forward with TAG Heuer power unit in 2016 From the milliseconds that separate victory from defeat to the finely balanced and perfectly measured rhythm of a racing engine, in motorsport timing is everything.