Infiniti Qx56 Rwd 4dr Low Miles Suv Automatic Gasoline 5.6l Dohc 32-valve V8 Eng on 2040-cars

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BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Zombie cars: Discontinued vehicles that aren't dead yet

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.

Infiniti lays out four upcoming models, electric future to dealers

Infiniti recently held a meeting in Los Angeles for approximately 200 of its North American dealers. Much of the talk was geared toward calming skeptical franchise owners about the brand's staying power. To bolster that argument, Infiniti corporate gave the retailers a sneak preview of upcoming models intended to liven up a portfolio that's largely seen as stagnant. As Automotive News reported, dealers were treated to a first look at two gasoline models and two electric ones. All four were either crossovers or SUVs. Firstly, an all-new QX80 is expected to debut for model year 2024. Infiniti plans to move it upmarket with a price tag north of $100,000 to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln. We would expect a starting price below the six-figure threshold, with only top trim models going over the line.  AN describes the QX80's exterior design as blockier than its predecessor's, with a new corporate grille. Details include "piano key" head and taillights as seen on the QX55, as well as Tesla-esque door handles that are flush with the paint when not in use. Using the next-gen version of the popular Nissan Patrol as its base, the flagship SUV will replace its 5.6-liter V8 with a twin-turbo V6 that puts out about 450 horsepower. That's 50 more than the V8, but should return better mileage than the current 15 mpg combined. Luxury features reportedly include an air suspension that lowers when parked to make climbing in and out less strenuous, a 24-inch display spanning the dashboard, and plenty of legroom for second- and third-rowers. Expect a summer 2023 debut.  An all-new model called the QX65 will be positioned as a Lexus RX rival. Though based on the QX60, which is itself based on the Nissan Pathfinder. It loses the third row for a more coupe SUV-like profile. It's described as having the grille of the upcoming QX80 but "shark fin taillights".  Infiniti was one of the first companies to proclaim an electric lineup within a certain timeframe. That date was 2030, but the brand now lags behind BMW, Lexus and others. AN's report has a new Q70 sedan going on sale by the end of 2026 as Infiniti's first all-electric model. Attendees recounted a design that takes off from where the discontinued Q70 left off but with proportions that include short overhangs and a longer wheelbase. A new lighting signature illuminates the full width of the car. Comparisons were drawn to the Tesla Model S and Porsche.