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Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

Infiniti takes QX60 on vacation for National Lampoon-inspired ad

Infiniti is packing up its version of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster for a new ad inspired by the American comedy classic National Lampoon's Vacation. Well, actually the 30-second spot replaces the green station wagon with a QX60, but the commercial does a great job of evoking the movie in a short time. The release timing is clearly perfect too given the remake hitting theaters on July 29 with Ed Helms and Christina Applegate. Infiniti's ad replicates one of the film's memorable scenes, but it replaces Chevy Chase behind the wheel of the Family Truckster and Christie Brinkley in a Ferrari 308. Instead, we get Ethan Embry in a QX60 and a blonde in a Lamborghini Gallardo droptop. The slight twist at the end really makes the commercial work, though. The ad starts airing nationally on July 9, but you can watch it streaming above now. Beyond just the surface-level homage, Infiniti gives the spot a slightly deeper connection to the Vacation series. In 1997's Vegas Vacation, Embry played Rusty. INFINITI DEBUTS NEW QX60 "VACATION" AD CAMPAIGN Infiniti recreates famous scene from "National Lampoon's Vacation" in 30-second commercial with 2015 QX60 Luxury Crossover Commercial stars Christie Brinkley and Ethan Embry Campaign includes extensions in digital and social media NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Infiniti has released a new campaign for the 2015 QX60, inspired by the 1983 classic "National Lampoon's Vacation" which coincides with the July 29 release of Warner Bros. Studio's remake. The campaign begins with a TV commercial starring the original movie's car-loving blonde bombshell and supermodel, Christie Brinkley, and puts a spin on the famous movie scene as the modern day family heads to Walley World. In the national spot titled "Vacation," Ethan Embry (who notably starred as Rusty in "Vegas Vacation") loads his family in the roomy 3-row QX60 and hits the road for Walley World. While on the road trip, Ethan looks in his side view mirror and sees an attractive blonde in a sports car fast approaching. As Ethan and the blonde keep up with each other on the highway, Christie Brinkley is revealed as his wife who catches this action and ends the scene with an ironic response: "Honey, a blonde in a convertible? Seriously?" The popular Infiniti QX60 continues to stand out in the premium crossover segment, excelling in the areas that luxury crossover buyers desire most – interior versatility, roominess, available safety, and available advanced hospitality features.

2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 Quick Spin Review | Beauty before brawn

The 2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 is an absolute beauty in person. And that's important, because, more than any other segment in the automotive marketplace, a personal luxury coupe has got to have the kind of attention-grabbing looks that can lead off the discussion about a brand-new vehicle. Like this one. It's also important because the name Red Sport 400 conjures up a kind of performance imagery that the Q60's hardware doesn't quite live up to. But before we delve into the world of horsepower and torque, let's finish talking about style. Like most luxury marques these days, Infiniti is working really hard to put a variant of its instantly recognizable corporate face on everything it sells. Unlike some other automakers — *cough* Lexus *cough* — Infiniti has been mostly successful in the styling-led marketing push without making each new car a caricature of the model it replaced. The fascia is dominated by a curvaceous chrome grille, which has little wing-shaped tabs that draw attention toward a dashing pair of headlights. These lighting units have LED elements that sort of form the shape of eye makeup, and while that could be a major styling misstep, it looks lovely on the Q60. Moving back from the face, there isn't a flat surface anywhere that might distract an onlooker from the overall cohesiveness of the design. The Q60's sheetmetal is pulled, pushed, and bunched like taffy strung across a whirling pair of beaters. If we were to lodge a complaint about the Q60's appearance, it would focus on the superfluous chrome-tipped gill slits just behind either front wheel and the too-small displacement badge nearby on the fenders. Both of these bits are unnecessary and seem like they were tacked on at the last minute. But those are small grievances that don't do much to distract from an otherwise cohesive design, and the chrome vents can be replaced with carbon fiber for an extra $395. It would be a sin to choose any color other than Dynamic Sunstone Red. This deep shade suits the Q60's flowing lines perfectly, and everyone who saw the car parked in our driveway had good things to say about the hue. Other colors are available, but ... just pick the red. The interior of out test car had seats in an off-white shade of leather that looks good, but was already showing wear and discoloration. We'd probably choose the red leather seats instead.