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Infiniti previews modified Q50 Red Sport 400 for SEMA

Infiniti sports sedans are having a bit of a renaissance these days thanks the dirt cheap prices of high mileage G35s and G37s. As such, it's a good a time as any for Infiniti to introduce an aspirational vehicle in the same lineage: a Q50 Red Sport 400 built for the 2023 SEMA Show. The Q50 is probably not a car you've given much thought about in recent years, as it's been hanging around largely unchanged since its introduction in 2014. Infiniti hasn't had a presence at SEMA for most of that time either. This year, the luxury brand has cooked up a Q50 Red Sport 400 loaded with aftermarket accessories for the Vegas extravaganza. The car was built to showcase products from the Infiniti Performance line accessories, which includes suspension bits like upper control arms, rear traction rods, endlinks and more. There's also performance brake pads and a cat-back exhaust with the Infiniti logo etched into the tip. The Q50 show car also adds more coolant into the cooling system with a thicker radiator, a billet-aluminum expansion tank and an auxiliary intercooler tank. Naturally, there's a cold-air intake too. The build was done in part with Mobil 1, who has filled the 400-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with 0w-20 synthetic.  The most desirable parts of all might be the four lightweight Nismo LM-RS1 wheels. Measuring 19 inches in diameter and 9.5 inches in width, they are available in black, gray, or bronze. The purpose of all this, Infiniti says, is to let owners of the Q50 and Q60 (and older G37s and G35s) know that the company offers a line of parts for customization. It's not the first time Infiniti has tried something like this. Anyone remember the short-lived Infiniti Performance Line (IPL) from 2010? Infiniti's commitment to performance has always seemed half-hearted. Maybe this time it'll stick around for a bit longer.

2024 Infiniti QX80 gets Dark Chrome Appearance package, higher price

The body-on-frame Infiniti QX80 is entering the 2024 model year with a new appearance package offered on the most expensive trim level. It's otherwise unchanged compared to the 2023 model, which received Amazon Alexa compatibility, but every trim becomes more expensive. While the QX80's overall design doesn't change, the range-topping Sensory trim level gets an optional Dark Chrome Appearance package that includes black-painted door mirror caps as well as Dark Chrome trim on the front end, the fenders, and the hatch. The bundle gives the SUV a more subtle look, as models not equipped with the Dark Chrome Appearance package ship with flashier bright exterior trim pieces. The list of standard features includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen plus Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Driving aids? It's got them: a surround-view camera, forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and back-up collision intervention come standard. The QX80 isn't the newest or best-selling model in its segment, but it's not as outdated as the age of its platform suggests. Infiniti positions the QX80 as its most expensive model, and it's increasing pricing across the board for 2024. Pricing is as follows: QX80 Luxe rear-wheel-drive: $76,045 ($1,650 more than in 2023) QX80 Luxe four-wheel-drive: $79,195 ($1,700 more than in 2023) QX80 Premium Select rear-wheel-drive: $80,680 ($1,685 more than in 2023) QX80 Premium Select four-wheel-drive: $83,780 ($1,685 more than in 2023) QX80 Sensory rear-wheel-drive: $87,730 ($1,685 more than in 2023) QX80 Sensory four-wheel-drive: $90,830 ($1,685 more than in 2023) Note that these figures include an $1,895 destination charge. The brand collected a $1,395 destination charge in 2023. Infiniti hasn't made any mechanical changes to the QX80. Power comes from a tried-and-true 5.6-liter V8 rated at 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to a seven-speed automatic transmission, and it gives the big SUV a towing capacity of up to 8,500 pounds. Dealers across the nation will begin receiving the 2024 QX80 in the coming weeks. Infiniti hasn't commented on what's next for the model, but weaving together various tidbits of information released earlier in 2023 nudges us in the right direction.

Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept shows a future with variable compression

For weeks, Infiniti has been teasing the Q Inspiration Concept ahead of its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show. Details were absent, but the design was clean, swoopy athletic. Not seeing any tailpipes on the rear end, we hoped it could sport some kind of electrified powertrain, but surmised that Infiniti could take the opportunity to further showcase its variable compression turbocharged engine technology. Now, Inifniti has officially taken the wraps off its Q Inspiration Concept, and has indeed chosen to use the stunning show car to demonstrate "near future applications" of the potent yet efficient VC-Turbo tech. VC-Turbo made its production debut in the 2019 QX50 at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Here, in the Q Inspiration, VC-Turbo allows Infiniti designers to make the most of the packaging, taking advantage of the compact powertrain to increase the size of the cabin while maintaining the footprint of a mid-size car. Electric automakers like Fisker, Lucid Motors and the like have been doing something similar with electric powertrains, but Infiniti's VC-Turbo allows the company to do something similar with technology that is ready for primetime, while still bridging the gap to more efficient future powertrains. VC-Turbo, as we've learned earlier, allows the engine to change and optimize compression ratios on the fly, between 8:1 for high-performance situations, to 14:1 for maximum efficiency. Mounted to the exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder heads of the four-cylinder engine is a single-scroll turbocharger. The system, says Infiniti, provides the torque and response of a hybrid or turbodiesel powertrain without sacrificing efficiency. In the Q Inspiration, the power is directed to four wheels via a front-biased all-wheel-drive drivetrain. The system can direct torque to the rear wheels individually as needed. As a design study, the Q Inspiration is a success. The proportions and lines are sleek and attractive, accentuated by the car's white paint. There's kind of a lot going on up front, with a large "double-arch" grille at the leading edge. Everything behind that, though, looks particularly harmonious. Its elongated cabin and coupe-like dimensions help provide efficiency while maximizing headroom for the four occupants. It's a car that stands up to close inspection, as attention to detail makes it more interesting the closer you scrutinize it, inside and out.