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2014 Infiniti Q50

Avoiding An Identity Crisis... For Now
Infiniti is a brand that has been quietly undergoing major upheaval - and not just with the numbers and letters on its trunklids. Back in December, Nissan's premium brand rankled fans and pundits by announcing it would redo its alphanumeric nomenclature, yet that decision was but a PR speedbump - there are bigger fish to fry. After all, this is a marque that was on the chopping block just a couple of years ago, and now it has a major opportunity to succeed thanks to new investment, new independence (Infiniti is now responsible for its own design, engineering, marketing, quality and human resources), a new global headquarters in Hong Kong, and new marching orders from new leadership that calls for a revitalized and expanded portfolio.
Yet if you think that the Q-based naming convention is the first sign of the brand's new direction, you might have missed Infiniti's biggest signal flare: the 2013 JX crossover. Fine premium three-row crossover that it may be, it's still the first Infiniti in ages that operates without a scintilla of driving entertainment at the core of its genetic makeup. (The last - and perhaps only - previous example was also Pathfinder-based, the 1997 QX4). To be fair, three-row CUVs have a laundry list of priorities before driving enjoyment figures in, but the message the JX (henceforth known as the QX60) sends is clear: Infiniti is going after more segments and more customers. Plans are afoot to expand the company's product line by a whopping 60 percent over the next five years, and in short, that means Infiniti is no longer content to be the unsung Japanese BMW - it needs vehicles that satisfy a wider swath of consumers. Despite all this, Infiniti officials we spoke with were keen to assert that driving pleasure remains very much core to their mission, and to that of this 2014 Q50 in particular.

2025 Infiniti QX80 First Look: Can it command a hundred grand?

NEW YORK CITY — If Infiniti has its way, the all-new 2025 QX80 will be the flagship SUV that leads NissanÂ’s luxury marque into a much-needed renaissance. By the time the 2025 QX80 debuts, the current generation will have been on the market for 15 years. The model dates to 2010, when it debuted as the QX56 (prior to InfinitiÂ’s naming system revamp). The QX56/QX80 received a lot of hate for avant-garde styling that appeared to have been birthed from an H.R. Giger space horror. The 2025 iteration tones that down significantly with fewer curves and more chiseled lines. As previewed by the QX Monograph concept, the complete absence of surfacing on the sides is as unfussy it gets. The nose retains InfinitiÂ’s trademark double-arch grille, inspired by the enduring stone bridges of traditional Japanese gardens. Similarly, its vertical slats are meant to evoke the spires of a bamboo forest. The new Infiniti logo is now 3-dimensional, with the “infinite road” dropping into the center like a black hole. Unlike a black hole, it illuminates in an eye-catching effect that, thankfully, feels less pretentious than MercedesÂ’ glowing stars. At the rear, a full-width taillight bar recalls lights reflected in water and is made up of more than 300 LEDs. The thin lights flanking the grille are DRLs, while the QX80Â’s real headlights are embedded in nooks just above vents on either side of the front fascia. Happily, those vents are functional, directing cooling air to beefy two-pot calipers and 13-inch discs. Likewise, the (finally de-chromed!) driverÂ’s side fender vent acts as a heat extractor. That heat is generated by a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 that replaces the outgoing naturally aspirated V8. Mated to a 9-speed automatic, it hails from the same engine family as the GT-R supercar and makes 450 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, a surge of 50 horses and 105 lb-ft. At the same time, Infiniti says it gets 20% better fuel economy. Many forget that beneath the predecessorÂ’s alien beluga sheetmetal was a solid luxury SUV with real off-road bones. It was built on the same platform as the Nissan Patrol, a hard-core 4x4 that competes toe-to-toe with the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser in foreign markets. Come 2025 the QX80 will continue to share a chassis with the new Patrol, albeit an all-new body-on-frame unit that Infiniti says has 57% more lateral stiffness than the outgoing model and 300% increased torsional stiffness.

Sebastien Vettel testing Infiniti's production Etherea?

It sounds like Sebastian Vettel has had his hands full recently, juggling his Formula One racing career while moonlighting as the newly appointed director of performance at Infiniti. On that latter note, Autocar is reporting that Vettel has been testing a production version of the Etherea Concept at France's Circuit Paul Ricard.
There is still no word as to when we could see this car go into production or what it will be called (possibly the Q30), but it will likely share a platform with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class as a part of the Daimler/Renault-Nissan collaboration. The article also said that this future entry-level Infiniti would be produced at Nissan's Sunderland, UK plant.