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Upcoming QX80 will use current model's platform, powertrain

Infiniti previewed the next-gen QX80 full-size SUV at this year's New York Auto Show with the QX80 Monograph concept. The new model is slated to go into production by the end of this year. Despite the updated look, Motor Trend reports that the next QX80 will ride on the same platform as the current model, carrying along with it the 5.6-liter 400 horsepower V8. The current QX80 shares a platform with the Nissan Patrol globally and the Nissan Armada here in the US. The model has been a success for the automaker, outselling every other Infiniti but the smaller QX60 crossover and Q50 sedan. Though the platform dates back to 2010, it seems Infiniti doesn't want to spoil a good thing. Competition like the Mercedes-Benz GLS-class, Cadillac Escalade, and Lexus LX are about as old as the current QX80. While most new models are more refined than their predecessors, Infiniti Motor Company President Roland Krueger says it should drive about the same as the current model. While the V8 will carry over, Krueger didn't rule out the possibility of a smaller turbocharged V6 for the future. Also carrying over will be the independent, self-leveling rear suspension, though neither the QX80 or Armada get some of the Patrol's really good off-road components. Since there isn't much going on beyond the skin, expect a short development cycle and a full debut sometime this fall. Related Video: News Source: Motor Trend Design/Style Infiniti SUV infiniti qx80 infiniti qx80 monograph

2022 Infiniti QX60 pricing starts just under $48,000

Just a month after being revealed, the 2022 Infiniti QX60 has pricing. The base model starts at $47,875, which is $2,500 more than the outgoing model. The model line spans four trims, Pure, Luxe, Sensory and Autograph. Each one comes standard with front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive as an option. Adding all-wheel drive adds $2,000 for all trims except the Autograph, which costs $2,900 as it includes the tow package with a hitch, hitch wiring and transmission oil cooler. You can see the base prices for all trims below, and the crossover goes on sale this fall. Pure: $47,875 Luxe: $53,925 Sensory: $57,375 Autograph: $61,375 The QX60 comes pretty well equipped even at the base level. On the outside, it has 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights and taillights. Inside it has a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, nine-speaker sound system, power hatch, panoramic sunroof, leather first- and second-row seats, front seats with heat and power adjustment and three-zone climate control. Some of the safety features include front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning and rear parking sensors. Moving up to Luxe adds 20-inch wheels and roof rails outside. Inside it gets a 12.3-inch instrument display panel, heated and cooled seats. Tech upgrades include navigation, ProPilot Assist highway and stop-and-go assistance, surround-view cameras, traffic sign recognition and remote start. Sensory focuses on the interior with massaging front seats, heated outboard second-row seats, power-folding third-row seats, wireless phone charging, motion-sensing power hatch, open-pore wood trim, ambient lighting and a Bose 17-speaker sound system. The top-rung Autograph has a number of exclusive upgrades. The exterior features a black roof and roof rails. The interior gets semi-aniline leather, captain's chairs in the second row with a removable center console, 10.8-inch head-up display, camera-display rearview mirror and adaptive headlights. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Red Bull to run TAG Heuer-branded engines next season

After a drawn-out and very public effort to switch to a different engine supplier, Red Bull Racing will once again be running under Renault power next season. Only it won't be labeled as a Renault. Instead, it will be branded by TAG Heuer. Now if you're thinking that TAG Heuer was in the McLaren camp, you were right up until today's announcement. One of McLaren's oldest partners, the watchmaker jumped ship to join up with Red Bull instead, ostensibly replacing Casio as the team's official timekeeper. Now here's where it gets a little tricky: Mansour Ojjeh and his Techniques d'Avant Garde holding company remain a major stakeholder in McLaren. The firm owned Tag Heuer from 1985 to 1999; now its former watch brand is leaving for Red Bull. This isn't the first time that the TAG name has transferred from one F1 team to another, nor is it the first time we'll see its name replace that of a major automaker on an F1 engine. Techniques d'Avant Garde previously partnered with Williams before Ron Dennis took over in Woking and convinced Ojjeh to come on board. That partnership saw TAG work with Porsche on a successful F1 engine program that won three drivers' championships (with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost), two constructors' titles, and 25 grands prix. While unusual, the deal is hardly unprecedented. Aside from the McLaren-TAG-Porsche arrangement, Sauber once ran Ferrari engines under the brand of its sponsor Petronas (which has long since switched to Mercedes). For another example, the 1998 world championship saw Benetton running Renault engines under the Playlife name, while Williams rebranded its version as Mecachrome, as the French automaker shifted its priorities in F1 much as it is right now. The announcement still leaves a few questions unanswered, however. For one, will Red Bull continue running TAG Heuer-branded engines made by Renault (or another supplier) after 2016? And what does this spell for Infiniti, Renault's sister-brand that has sponsored the team for the past several years? Infiniti declined to comment, but we're told there'll be some sort of announcement early next week. Red Bull Racing to drive forward with TAG Heuer power unit in 2016 From the milliseconds that separate victory from defeat to the finely balanced and perfectly measured rhythm of a racing engine, in motorsport timing is everything.