2008 Infiniti Ex35 Journey Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2023 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Black Opal steals Midnight Purple thunder

The Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 gets a special wardrobe option for 2023, a Black Opal iridescent paint job that shifts from black to blue to green to purple depending on the light and viewing angle. The paint is matched with satin black badging and an exposed carbon fiber decklid spoiler, accessories certain to suit any of the color-shifted hues. Grouped into a Black Opal Edition Package, the styling upgrade adds $2,200 to the price of the Q50 Red Sport 400 that starts at $59,575 before options. The inclusion of the word "Edition" is the clue to this being sold in limited numbers. Infiniti didn't say how many would be offered for our market, but based on the historical connections Infiniti is making with this, we expect it won't be more than a few hundred. Black Opal on the Q50 wants to trace its lineage to the now legendary Midnight Purple II, a color introduced on the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R in 1998. Quick history lesson: There was a Midnight Purple that first appeared on the R33 GT-R, known as Midnight Purple I or by its paint code LP2, but it was solid metallic purple. Nissan introduced the iridescence with Midnight Purple II (LV4) with a blue-green color shift on the R34 GT-R, then did it again with Midnight Purple III (LX0) that shimmered blue-orange. All three were limited editions, and all three get huge money at auction now. Nissan let loose an R35 GT-R with a Midnight Opal paint job for the 2014 model year, restricted to 100 units worldwide. The redux came for the 2022 model year with the GT-R T-spec that could be had in Midnight Purple, also limited.    That's where the Black Opal Edition Q50 Red Sport 400 gets its mojo from. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque doesn't hurt, either.

2023 Infiniti Q50 gets small price bump and Premium Care

The Infiniti Q50 sedan continues for 2023 without the support of its coupe sibling, the Q60. There are just three small changes on the way, one being the addition of Infiniti Premium Care. Expanded to every Infiniti sold or leased in the U.S., Premium Care is a regular maintenance program for items like oil and filter changes, tire rotations, and inspections for up to three years. The second change is a higher price, the Q50 starting at $43,725 including the $1,075 destination fee, a $610 increase over 2022. MSRPs for the three trims next year and differences from 2022 are: Q50 Luxe: $43,725 ($610) Q50 Sensory: $49,425 ($400) Q50 Red Sport 400: $57,575 ($600) The last change is the availability of a Saddle Brown interior, which used to require stepping up to the Sensory. Rear-wheel drive is the standard layout, all-wheel drive can be optioned to any trim for $2,000. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 hold steady at 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque for the Luxe and Sensory, or 400 hp and 350 lb-ft for the Red Sport 400, shifting through a seven-speed automatic no matter the output. It's possible there are more people who want to know where the Q50 is going than want to buy the car. The brand sold 8,482 Q50s in the first half of 2021, but just 3,717 units in the first half of this year. The high point came in 2016 when 44,007 units moved that year, two years after the sedan went on sale, and the model heading into 2023 has been hanging on for 10 years. The brand talked about a potential new electrified platform for the sedan in 2018, but come 2021 Nikkei Asia reported parent company Nissan would be ending development of all sedans in Japan excepting the Skyline. The Q50 seems like it's doing circles in a product cul-de-sac, knowing there's no point in revamping the current generation or developing a new one. But the car on sale is just bringing down values; unlike much of the rest of the market, there's real money to be saved on a one- or two-year-old Q50. Perhaps when the electric revolution has some power behind it in 2027 or 2028, we could see a return to the hot Infiniti sedans of yore.   

Infiniti offers chance to design Sebastian Vettel's helmet for the USGP

The Circuit of the Americas will host its second United States Grand Prix in November, and based on what's happening with New Jersey it might be the only US torch left alight in the Formula One firmament. The story even before the inaugural event was about getting American fans involved, and Infiniti appears to be making the first splash this year with a competition to design Sebastian Vettel's helmet for the first two days of race weekend.
The only thing required of the graphic designer within you is to head to the competition site, download the helmet template and slather it in your unique technicolor vision. It will require some thought to make something interesting, though, since much of the helmet is already committed to team and sponsor logos; other than a few thin strips along the sides, your creativity will be confined to the oval atop the shell. Vettel will choose the winner and will wear the selected lid during the free practices and qualifying.
The grand prize winner will also get a VIP trip for two to the grand prix as a guest of Infiniti, which includes some face time with the triple world champion himself. The contest is on now, the deadline for entries is 11:59 pm GMT (6:59 EST), Sunday, September 29th and the winner is chosen the very next day. There's a press release below with more info if you want the complete skinny before putting stylus to digital paper.