2005 Infiniti Awd on 2040-cars

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Infiniti to launch first electric car, to be made in China

BEIJING — The first electric car for Nissan's premium brand Infiniti will be a sporty sedan produced in China, the Japanese carmaker said in a statement viewed by Reuters ahead of a public announcement expected as soon as Wednesday. The vehicle would hit the market in around three years, and consumers would get a taste when the company unveils a concept car, dubbed the Qs Inspiration electric sedan, at the Shanghai auto show later this week, Nissan officials said. "China has the most growth potential for electric vehicles globally, especially in the premium segment," Infiniti Chairman Christian Meunier said in the statement seen by Reuters. Automakers operating in China have to sell more so-called new-energy vehicles, either battery electric cars or plug-in electric hybrids, to comply with official production quotas designed to reduce smog. It was not immediately clear whether Infiniti planned to produce its first electric vehicle in other markets. An Infiniti spokesman said, however, the brand did not intend to export the e-sedan from China. The planned e-sedan is part of Infiniti's longer-term strategy to significantly electrify its product lineup. Brand officials have said that from 2021 every Infiniti model launched will be either an all-electric car or so-called "e-Power" hybrids, underlining Nissan's previously announced plan to make Infiniti primarily an electrified offering. The sedan likely would be built on a new flexible architecture developed specifically to accommodate electrified powertrains, Infiniti said in the statement. Its design, especially the interior, would be significantly different than current models, design chief Karim Habib said. EVs do not have bulky gasoline engines and transmissions, opening up space inside the car. "It will have a flat floor, and if you are a passenger you can cross your legs or stretch out your legs," Habib told Reuters. Competition in China's rapidly emerging electric car market is heating up amid an onslaught of models from startups such as Nio and WM Motor, as well as those from established automakers. In the luxury segment, Infiniti will be competing with Tesla Model S and Model X, as well as other models due to be launched in coming months by Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus.

Infiniti Synaptiq concept 'spinal lock attachment' makes you one with your car

The theme of this year's LA Design Challenge is "Sensing the future" and asks, "How will cars interact with us in 2029?" Infiniti has kicked off entries in the LA Auto Show's yearly visionary party with its low, wide and versatile Synaptiq concept. Less a car and more of a set of interlocking pieces, the Synaptiq is termed a "universal fuselage pod," a teardrop-shaped capsule with a liquid-crystal canopy that can be fitted to different propulsion devices: a Formula One-like chassis, a desert buggy rig and a jet airframe.
Yet it answers the challenge not by being able to fly through deserts and air, but with its human-machine interface. The driver/pilot wears a Synaptic S.U.I.T. (Symbiotic User Interface Technology) fitted with biometric sensors and synthetic muscles, and through a "spinal lock attachment," he or she is made one with the car.
You gaze upon its gewgaws in the gallery above, and read more about it and other concepts from Acura, CALTY, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peterbilt, Qoros, Subaru and Volkswagen that will vie for the King of the Future title at next week's LA Auto Show.

This is the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Coupe totally exposed

Right about now, Infiniti's holiday card to Autoblog is going to get "lost in the mail." That's because we're going to spoil the automaker's next big debut nearly two full months ahead of schedule. Oops. What you see above comes from a promotional shoot for the new Q60 coupe. The photos taken here will probably serve as the official images when the new coupe bows in January at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. The look is more or less what we expect, serving as a literal translation of the Q60 coupe concept that debuted last year in Detroit. That means it's darn handsome. The front fascia is bold, with Infiniti's trademark grille dominating the nose. As we predicted in our most recent round of spy photos, the Formula One-inspired front bumper has been ditched in favor of a more conventional unit, likely owing to Infiniti parent Renault-Nissan's pending divorce from the Red Bull Racing team. This is not a bad thing. There was just too much Mercedes-Benz SLK in the concept's front bumper. The pert tail features a remarkably short deck and an aggressive roofline, although we aren't sure how the company's heavily kinked beltline works on a two-door model. The profile is also highlighted by a set of vents just aft of the front axle. Overall, we're finding the new Q60 coupe to be a worthwhile alternative to the BMW 4 Series, Audi A5, Lexus RC, and the upcoming Mercedes C-Class coupe in terms of aesthetics. As previously reported, the most powerful Q60, likely featured here, will be offered with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, 400-horsepower V6. A 2.0-liter turbo pilfered from Mercedes will serve as the base engine. As for the cabin, we unfortunately don't have much to show you (we need to leave something for Infiniti to show in Detroit, right?). We can tell you that the overall cabin should be reminiscent of the Q50 sedan, and the Q60 isn't likely going to depart much from the controls and infotainment on its four-door sibling. Related Video: