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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

Infiniti G37 to live on in showrooms alongside 2014 Q50

Infiniti is preparing to roll out its hotly anticipated 2014 Q50, a car that not only ushers in a new alphanumeric naming strategy, it ostensibly replaces the G37 as the brand's bread-and-butter sport sedan. That will happen, but not in the short-term, as the G37 will continue to be manufactured and sold alongside the Q50, at least for the rest of this year.
Infiniti spokesman Kyle Bazemore has confirmed to Autoblog that a decision is pending on how long to extend the G37 sedan's production run. "We're taking Q50 up a little bit, and that allows us to keep the G Sedan in the lineup... It [Q50] certainly started as a replacement, but it ended up being much more than that." Confusingly, Infiniti has already announced that the Q50 is to start at $37,605 (including $905 destination charge), yet the 2013 G37 is more expensive, starting at $38,255 delivered according to Infiniti's consumer website. Thus, a price drop on the G37 is likely coming in short order.
So why hold on to the older model? With the Q50 launching exclusively with V6 and Hybrid models (a turbo four and diesel are said to be in the cards down the road), Infiniti evidently feels it is risking leaving lower-end sales on the table. "There's a lot of movement with the [BMW] 320i and such, and this allows us a two-tier strategy to compete," says Bazemore. Keeping the G37 on tap at a lower price for fleet sale duty may also serve to protect the Q50 as it establishes itself on the market.

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.