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Infiniti Q70 won't live to see 2020

The Infiniti Q70 won’t be returning for the 2020 model year, effectively killing InfinitiÂ’s large luxury sedan. This news comes to us via a report from Motor Authority, citing “the automaker” and Infiniti spokesperson Kyle Bazemore. WeÂ’ve reached out to Infiniti to confirm the news, but it doesnÂ’t strike us as a surprising move whatsoever. Update: Infiniti confirmed the Q70 won't be sold in the U.S. or Canada for the 2020 model year. Back in July of this year, Nissan made it clear that we should expect 10 percent of its models to be cut from its global product lineup. We speculated then that the Q70 and Q70L would be part of these cuts, as itÂ’s the manufacturerÂ’s worst-selling model. To no oneÂ’s surprise, that eventuality came true. Infiniti moved 4,479 Q70s and Q70Ls in 2018, making it a super low-volume vehicle in a tough segment. Back in the mid-2000s, Infiniti topped 20,000 sales of its largest luxury sedan (not named the Q70 at the time). Cars like the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 are all more enticing buys next to the aged Q70 — a slightly cheaper base price was the last stand for this vehicle, but it looks like a good deal wasnÂ’t enough to save it from our crossover apocalypse. Infiniti SUV sales are up, as the QX80 continues to gain more ground in 2019. More folks are opting for the raised and rugged options than smooth and comfortable sedans across the industry, which is why we continue to see news like this. Unfortunately, the Q70 isnÂ’t riding off into the sunset in any sort of glory. We can trace the Q70Â’s lineage back through a few name changes (Q45 into a series of M cars like the M45 and M56). Its oldest ancestor would be the Infiniti Q45, which was a revolutionary car back in the early 1990s. It featured an active hydraulic suspension system that aimed to provide a supremely comfortable ride and flat cornering at the same time. When equipped with the suspension system, hydraulic actuators on each wheel were able to counter the forces exerted on it from cornering, braking and acceleration. And remember, this was 1991!  Transitioning back to today, Nissan and Infiniti have made it clear that EVs will be the future. We know that weÂ’d love to see another industry-changing flagship sedan from Infiniti, and a fully electric vehicle might just be the way to go about it. Anybody wanting for a production version of the Q Inspiration Concept?

2018 Infiniti QX80 reveals fresh face in Dubai

Infiniti has finally revealed its refresh for the Infiniti QX80 at the Dubai auto show, and it's amazingly mild. Not that we were expecting a particularly wild redesign, since even the QX80 Monograph concept that previewed the SUV still looked similar to the existing vehicle, but this is still a pretty low-key update. The main changes are in the front fascia, which was teased not long ago. It features headlights that sit higher up and inline with the top of the grille. The lights are more slender and swept back, too. The tops of the fenders sit higher as well, providing a more squared-off look, and the side fender vents have a new design. Beyond the nose job, there are hardly any other changes. The taillights are new, and the chrome finish over the license plate extends into them. The rest of the roof, doors, windows, basically all the stuff in the middle of the SUV look pretty much identical to the old QX80. Underneath the skin is more of the same. The interior is the same with the exception of some new materials and colors. Apparently the shift knob is new, too. The powertrain is a carryover as well, featuring the same 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 with either two- or four-wheel drive. The QX80 has one other somewhat noteworthy change, and that's the price. Base price on the two- and four-wheel-drive QX80 models increases $900 over last year's to $65,745 and $68,845 respectively. The new QX80 goes on sale by the end of this year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Infiniti QX80 View 27 Photos Image Credit: Infiniti Infiniti SUV Luxury dubai motor show infiniti qx80

2021 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 Road Test | Z engine preview

There isn’t much reason to take another look at the 2021 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 on the surface. ItÂ’s largely the same sedan as it was when we drove it in 2016: powerful and stylish, but lacking in tech and polish. However, whatÂ’s under the hood is of far more interest to us today than it was just a year ago. ThatÂ’s because the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 powering this Infiniti is migrating over to the next Nissan Z car. Nissan announced that the production Z would get a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 not long after it revealed the Z Proto. There are no other twin-turbo V6s in NissanÂ’s arsenal but this one, meaning that the VR30DDTT engine in this Infiniti is destined for the Z — plus, there's photo confirmation. The big question remaining is: How new or different will it be? Its most potent state of tune is rated at 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s a high number versus most other boosted six-cylinders, and perhaps most importantly, itÂ’s more potent than the 382-horsepower 2021 Toyota GR Supra 3.0. As weÂ’ll soon explain, though, numbers only tell part of the story. Transplanting the InfinitiÂ’s V6 into the next Z surely wonÂ’t be without challenges, either. Nissan is promising a six-speed manual in the Z. Meanwhile, this engine is exclusively paired with a traditional seven-speed automatic transmission in the Q50 and Q60. Nissan hitched this engine up with a manual in a 370Z SEMA show car years ago, but now it must devise a production car solution. ThereÂ’s also the question of whether Nissan will use the same seven-speed as the automatic option in the Z, or come up with something a bit more aggressive. The cost-efficient (and likely) solution would be reusing the seven-speed, not unlike the Supra's eight-speed traditional automatic.  Having all of this in mind, we set out to see how this engine sits today as a preview to the Z.  Going from the big, naturally aspirated VQ series V6 to a smaller twin-turbo V6 will bring about the obvious changes. The rabid and uncouth personality of the outgoing VQ is nowhere to be found in the sweet and smooth new engine. ItÂ’s not quite the silky, effortless BMW inline-six found in the Supra, but it brings an air of refinement and maturity that's simply not there in the current Z. And then thereÂ’s the torque. All 350 pounds of twist are available at 1,600 rpm in the Q50 Red Sport 400, which means the shove in the back would theoretically start just off idle.