2007 Infiniti G35 X Sedan, 70k Miles, Silver/black on 2040-cars

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2015 Belgian Grand Prix is a return to scheduled programming

With summer intermission over, the second half of the Formula One season commenced in the Belgian countryside at Spa-Francorchamps. After qualifying, it looked a lot like the first half of the season with just a few minor changes. Lewis Hamilton was even more dominant in his Mercedes-AMG Petronas than usual, regularly taking half a second out of his teammate in just the middle sector of the circuit. Teammate Nico Rosberg tightened it up a tad for his final hot lap, but Hamilton still took pole by 0.45 seconds ahead of Rosberg in second. With his Williams back at a power track, Valtteri Bottas got himself up to third, although more than a second behind Hamilton. Romain Grosjean in the Lotus in fourth had his best qualifying performance since his fourth-place grid spot at the 2013 US Grand Prix. This was a huge boon for Lotus, the team facing another financial issue off track that threatened to have its cars impounded as soon as they left the circuit. Grosjean had to have his gearbox changed before the conclusion of six races, however, so the five-spot penalty meant he'd actually line up ninth for the race. Sergio Perez put the Sahara Force India in fifth, where we're more used to seeing his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, just ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the Infiniti Red Bull Racing in sixth. Felipe Massa got the second Williams in seventh, in front of the second Lotus of Pastor Maldonado in eighth. Then came the first and only Ferrari in the top ten, Sebastian Vettel qualifying ninth after a disappointing Saturday for the scuderia; teammate Kimi Raikkonen suffered gearbox issues and qualified way down in 16th. Carlos Sainz took tenth in the Toro Rosso. A new start procedure in Belgium meant drivers had to handle clutches on their own, without the engineers finely tuning bite points between the garage and the start line. That was in conjunction with another rule limiting the kinds of radio messages possible between engineers and drivers, aiming to put more of the car in the drivers' hands. After an aborted start when Hulkenberg's car quit while sitting on the grid, Hamilton made the most of the new procedure. His start wasn't amazing but he beat everyone else off the line, while those behind were alternately getting bogged down or leaping ahead. Midway through the first lap the top ten was Hamilton, Perez, Ricciardo, Bottas, Rosberg, Vettel, Maldonado, Grosjean, Massa, Marcus Ericsson. At the end of 43 laps, Hamilton would still be in the lead.

2022 Infiniti QX55 First Drive Review | A gorgeous value

Looking at the luxury crossover market, you can probably guess that there’s a clear demand for fastback variants. All the German automakers offer multiple coupe-like crossovers. The rest of the industry hasn't been so sure, including Infiniti, which didn't originally plan to offer a rakish version of its QX50. Yet here is the 2022 Infiniti QX55, and it's the direct result of customer demand. The people wanted it, so Infiniti brought it.   The company didnÂ’t just stop with the low, curvy roofline, though. The front fascia features a wavy, almost sculptural grille, a deeper chin spoiler and crisp black accents around the outboard grilles. The rear gets wider taillights with pronounced LED segments and a diffuser between the tailpipes. The license plate has been moved to the bumper, too, so that you get a big Infiniti badge and proud brand lettering across the hatch. On top of that, every QX55 gets big 20-inch wheels. These detail changes, plus the new roof make this not only a much more attractive-looking iteration of the QX50 but also arguably the best-looking crossover “coupe” in the segment. InfinitiÂ’s flowing design language naturally complements the QX55Â’s shape, and it looks almost like it was designed to be this way in the first place, whereas competitorÂ’s SUV coupes tend to look like afterthoughts. Mechanically, the QX55 is nearly identical to its boxier QX50 sibling. The only main distinctions are that the QX55 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, and the new body actually improved chassis rigidity by 10%. The engine is the same turbocharged, variable-compression 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the QX50 making the same 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is also identical at 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. Power goes through a CVT, which again, is basically the same as the QX50Â’s. ItÂ’s not the smoothest engine in the segment, but itÂ’s a responsive and playful one, delivering great low-end torque. The CVT is smooth and reacts quickly to acceleration demands. It has a manual mode that works decently, too, but you never have full manual control. So you might as well let it do things automatically, which is no bad thing. As for the ride and handling, the QX55, even with its extra rigidity, feels just like the QX50. It has a soft, plush ride and an extremely quiet cabin befitting a luxury car. But when itÂ’s time to corner, itÂ’s deeply disappointing. ThereÂ’s lots of body roll and understeer.

2022 Infiniti QX60 to get 295-HP V6, dump CVT for nine-speed auto

Infiniti confirmed Thursday that its redesigned QX60 will ditch its CVT in favor of a newer nine-speed automatic, following its platform cousin, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, in adopting an updated powertrain. Though not officially revealed, it should look mostly identical to the QX60 Monograph concept in these photos.  Putting this powertrain in Infiniti's midsize crossover really shouldn't be much of a surprise. Thanks to Nissan, we've already gotten a sneak peak at it care of the 2022 Pathfinder, which will employ the ZF nine-speed paired to the same 3.5-liter V6. The engine is tuned for an extra 11 horsepower (295 vs. 284) in the Infiniti, but we don't expect significant differences between the two when it comes to their fundamentals. Infiniti hasn't yet confirmed whether the QX60 will be offered in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations, but we have no reason to believe otherwise. The Pathfinder is offered with front-wheel drive standard or an optional, redesigned all-wheel-drive system. It’s a new direct coupling design that can send 50% of available torque to the rear wheels, which Nissan says improves off-road performance. For Infiniti, we expect tuning centered around performance and refinement.  The ZF nine-speed isn't our favorite transmission. Its compact design makes it convenient for all-wheel-drive applications, but its on-road calibration leaves quite a bit to be desired, and many vehicles we've tested with that gearbox have disappointed us with their lack of ultimate refinement and responsiveness. That said, it's still probably an improvement over the CVT, which often seems to merely convert gasoline into unpleasant noises.  "The upcoming, all-new 2022 Infiniti QX60 embraces the tenets of what our brand stands for," said Infiniti Chairman Peyman Kargar in the company's announcement. "Teams from Japan and the U.S. have worked tirelessly to bring the new QX60 to customers as our most refined and advanced three-row crossover yet. The QX60 is a foundation for Infiniti and will bring to life our core philosophies. WeÂ’ll have more to talk about soon, so watch this space." Infiniti promises to formally introduce the 2022 QX60 later this year.