2011 Infiniti G37s Limited Edition Convertible Navigation Factory Warranty on 2040-cars

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Infiniti confirms new "premium compact" to be built in UK

Aside from certain naming-related news, Infiniti has actually had some decent product news to announce this week. The company's president, Johan de Nysschen, alluded to a new 550-horsepower performance sedan, and now the automaker has confirmed that a new "premium compact" will go into production in 2015. Based on the fact that this new model will be built alongside the Nissan Leaf at the automaker's Sunderland, UK assembly plant, we could only hope that it's a production version of the LE Concept (shown above).
Sunderland already produces Nissan products like the Qashqai, Juke and Note, and as a part of an investment of 250 million British pounds (around $406 million USD) for the new model, the plant would add an extra 280 jobs with the capacity to build 60,000 of the new Infinitis annually. Adding the premium compact at Sunderland means that Infiniti will have to change its plans for another new model, a bigger "C-segment hatchback," which could very well be a production version of the Etherea Concept.

1992 Infiniti Q45 with under 9,000 miles is a window into the glory days of Japan, Inc.

The 1980s saw Japanese auto boom in the U.S., while at home the "Bubble Economy" of the latter half of the decade swelled corporate coffers. The heady atmosphere lead first Honda, then Toyota and Nissan, to launch luxury divisions, aimed primarily at the U.S. market. Nissan formed a secret task force in 1985 to create Infiniti, and the brand launched (simultaneously with Lexus) at the 1989 Detroit Auto Show. The Infiniti Q45 was the brand's flagship and displayed a distinctly Japanese take on the luxury sedan. Whereas the Lexus LS400 was like the world's most perfect Cadillac — all silence and smoothness — the more driver-oriented Q45 was something akin to an Asian Jaguar. The Zen-like styling eschewed luxury car cliches such as interior wood trim and a fancy chrome grille. Instead, the nose of the Q45 was adorned with a stylized badge that was suggestive of a samurai shield. When Lexus stormed out of the gate and left Infiniti far behind, Nissan's luxury division began to dial back the iconoclasm and tack toward conventionality. All of which makes this early, 1992-model Q45 a rare and intriguing machine. It's all the more representative of Infiniti's early days because of its ultra-low mileage: just 8,800 miles are on the clock. Up for sale right now on the auction website Cars & Bids, this Q45 reportedly had just one owner up until last year. It features a leather interior, power seats, a sunroof and a trunk-mounted 10-disc CD changer. Under the hood is a DOHC 4.5-liter V8 that's good for 278 horsepower and pairs with a four-speed automatic transmission to drive the rear wheels. Of note is the factory case that houses the original titanium keys. At this writing, bidding for this rarely seen Japanese luxury sedan stands at $11,000 with two days left to go in the auction. That seems a small sum for such a well-preserved totem of the Japanese auto industry's master-of-the-universe period. Related Video:

10 of 18 midsize SUVs earn 'good' IIHS side impact safety rating

It's not terribly surprising that midsize SUVs earned better safety ratings than small SUVs in the latest side-impact tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Just how much better they scored, on the other hand, certainly raises an eyebrow. Ten out of 18 midsize SUVs earned the highest rating of 'good' in the stringent new test, altered for vehicles starting with the 2020 model year with a heavier barrier (4,200 pounds) that moves at a higher speed (37 miles per hour) and is fitted with a hard honeycomb frontal structure. By way of contrast, just one out of of 20 small SUVs earned a 'good' score.  SUVs that receiving 'good' scores were the Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Aviator, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen ID.4. For EV fans, it's worth noting the ID.4 was the only electric vehicle included in the test. The Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse scraped away with 'acceptable' ratings while the Honda Passport, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Kia Telluride and Nissan Murano were deemed merely 'marginal' in the tough new test. Only two models — the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen ID.4 — earned a "Good" rating in every test category.  Interestingly, the Jeep Wrangler would have scored a 'good' rating if it were equipped with side airbags for the rear seating positions. It would likely be an engineering challenge to equip its removable top and/or doors with airbags, but the lack of that safety feature allowed the head of the rear passenger dummy to hit the vertical support of the top. Otherwise, the Wrangler scored good ratings across the board. The new Ford Bronco, which makes more allowances for side-impact safety, has not yet been tested.  The popular Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs stand out in the test with 'poor' ratings for driver pelvis injuries. The Nissan Murano, a vehicle last redesigned for the 2015 model year, was the only vehicle tested that received a 'poor' rating for its structure and safety cage. Videos of the tests of 12 of these 18 SUVs can be found on the IIHS' YouTube page. Related video: Green Buick Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jeep Kia Mazda Nissan Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Safety Crossover SUV IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety