2011 Infiniti on 2040-cars

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Infiniti Q60 Concept paints a pretty picture of the brand's future

Infiniti's final teaser for the Q60 Concept may have given away the shape of the curvy coupe ahead of its debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, but that's not necessarily such a tragedy for this model because the design has so many subtle touches. The more you look at it, the more cool details and ornate lines you notice. What initially looks fairly simple up front belies a multitude of fascinating details, including the F1-inspired lower air dam and the subtle fin at the tip of the hood. The design around the C-pillar may be complicated but is also attractive thanks to the confluence of design from the rear fender arch, beltline and crescent-shaped cutout in the window. The concept's interior also takes a minimalist approach. It's predominantly covered in cream leather and features sports seats in quilted leather. A mix of Alcantara and carbon fiber trim are able to show off the concept's performance intentions, though. Meanwhile the glass roof makes sitting behind the wheel feel airy and inviting. Underneath, the Q60 Concept's arching hood is the company's conceptual 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 and a seven-speed automatic. Infiniti promises the production of the mill is coming in the next two years. The big question is whether the mix of sharp edges and flowing lines on the Q60 Concept really see production without too much alternation. Infiniti plans to unveil the production version next year. Until then, check out how the model appears now on the floor of the Detroit show. Related Gallery Infiniti Q60 Concept: Detroit 2015 View 28 Photos Related Gallery Infiniti Q60 Concept View 28 Photos Related Gallery Infiniti Q60 Concept: Detroit 2015 View 14 Photos News Source: InfinitiImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Detroit Auto Show Infiniti Coupe Performance 2015 Detroit Auto Show infiniti q60 infiniti q60 concept

Mercedes leads in US luxury car thefts

Mercedes-Benz makes some fine automobiles. The Silver Arrow'd cars are so good, apparently, that thieves can't help but try to steal them. The German brand is at the top of the charts for luxury car thefts in the US, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with New York City leading the way. (And those New Yorkers complain about Detroit being bad!)
The C-Class was the most stolen model, with 485 ganked between 2009 and 2012 in NYC alone, while the E-Class and S-Class (which also boasted the worst recovery rate, at 59 percent) both finished in the top ten. Following the C-Class was the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G. Not surprisingly, each of these were the most common models in their respective lineups. Los Angeles and Miami are also prime hotspots for luxury car thefts, according to the Detroit News report.
While getting your car stolen is pretty awful, there was one inspiring statistic compiled by the NICB - the average recovery rate across the board was 84 percent, with the Cadillac CTS getting recovered 91 percent of the time.

4 ways Infiniti’s Q Inspiration concept bridges present and future

Infiniti's new Q Inspiration concept is a striking fastback sedan that the company says reflects an inflection point for both the luxury brand and the broader auto industry itself. It represents a bridge between technologies. That's true in the literal sense; it employs Infiniti's new variable compression turbocharged engine technology, which provides performance features while maximizing efficiency, and bridges the gap to more advanced powertrains. It also features Nissan's ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology. But it's also true for the concept car's design, which Infiniti says provides a simple, elegant solution to complex technological questions — offering a palate cleanser, if you will, for the complicated technologies hidden beneath the gleaming surfaces. Oddly enough, the futuristic-looking Q Inspiration owes a debt of gratitude to the Prototype 9, the concept based on a 1940s-style grand prix car that Infiniti released last year. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti's senior vice president for global design, said that project became "a kind of a blank canvas for us to play with" and allowed for new discovery and expression with minimal brush strokes. It also led designers back to Ma, the Japanese concept of mastery of empty space. We spoke with Albaisa about how the concept's design echoes the theme of bridging the present and future. 1. The cabin's forward proportion and roominess Using the space-efficient VC-Turbo engine gave the designers space to shift the cabin forward and move the A-pillars back, creating a more centered and elongated cabin, with maximum headroom. The interior is clean, with orange and black leather with orange accents and backlit birch wood accents. The center console is floating, providing seamless connectivity to technology and hiding mechanical elements. Albaisa says it's the first manifestation of Infiniti's new form language for an era of advanced powertrain and future technologies. 2. The grille In what Albaisa describes as "a little bit of an accident" and "kind of tongue-in-cheek," the Q Inspiration's grille is a kind of trompe l'oeuil phenomenon. From directly in front, you can see the small fins, but viewed from the side, they disappear. So much so that Albaisa said he was initially fooled. "From a functional point of view, we need to breathe," he said. "But I think in the future, where there'll be a lot different types of technology, probably the car can breathe less. So we don't need that dominating big open mouth.