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Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept SUV may be the most Japanese thing in Detroit

Infiniti is following up its Q Inspiration Concept from the Detroit Auto Show last year with a QX Inspiration Concept for 2019. Unlike the Q Inspiration from last year ( VC-Turbo engine), this one is fully electric. That said, it does sport a similar design language. This QX concept is meant to preview an upcoming midsize electric Infiniti SUV. Since it's powered by an electric powertrain, there's no need for a grille. Infiniti decided to take the opportunity to spell its name out in big and bold letters across the bow instead. The proportions are obviously concept-car-like with a high beltline and squashed rear-end. Straight lines and muscular curves accentuate the car's stance nearly everywhere you look — somehow we still didn't escape the plastic wheel arches breaking up the pretty white paint and surrounding the 22-inch wheels. Related: Infiniti QX Inspiration fails to drive onstage at Detroit Auto Show reveal Etchings on the razor-thin headlamps and throughout the car are designed to look as though lasers did the work. Infiniti emphasizes that it used Japanese "Ma" styling, which puts an emphasis on negative space. Take a look through the photos yourself to see if you think Infiniti succeeded at utilizing the design mantra of "white space" on this SUV. One neat feature you'll easily be able to decipher on the exterior is the use of Japanese red cedar slats on the roof. You can see straight out of the car from inside, and it offers a bit of contrast color-wise. A lot of the magic is contained in the interior of the QX Inspiration, though. The first thing you'll see is the pillar-to-pillar screen that's finished in gold-tinted glass. Remind anyone of Byton? As if that wasn't enough screen, Infiniti also put a screen in the square steering wheel, too. The center console is made using marble, extending all the way back to the rear seats. White, suede rhombus panels serve as the Infiniti's floor that also features gold inlays. Infiniti takes advantage of the electric car benefit of a flat floor for extra interior space — the battery sits low under it. Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept View 24 Photos It also uses the popular concept-car trick of rotating seats to make ingress and egress easier. The same tech was revered in the 1960s. Infiniti says it intentionally left out any technology from the backseat so as to give the cabin a more natural and authentic appearance in pursuing the Japanese appreciation of nature and craftsmanship.

Autoblog Podcast #391

Episode #391 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Mike Harley and Brandon Turkus talk about the appointment of Kumar Galhotra to run Lincoln, changes coming for Scion, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, and which cars won't live into 2015. We also take a quick detour to talk about the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype, which Mike Harley just came back from driving. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #391: Topics: 2015 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Prototype New boss at Lincoln Scion xB, iQ ending soon Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Cars that won't live to 2015 In the Autoblog Garage: McLaren 650S Hyundai Genesis Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:42:06 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge - 30:05 Kumar Galhotra to Lincoln - 34:32 Scion Changes - 43:58 Dodge Charger Hellcat - 54:25 Discontinued Cars - 01:06:24 Q&A - 01:22:59 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts Dodge Hyundai Infiniti Lincoln McLaren Scion Supercars mclaren 650s

4 ways Infiniti’s Q Inspiration concept bridges present and future

Infiniti's new Q Inspiration concept is a striking fastback sedan that the company says reflects an inflection point for both the luxury brand and the broader auto industry itself. It represents a bridge between technologies. That's true in the literal sense; it employs Infiniti's new variable compression turbocharged engine technology, which provides performance features while maximizing efficiency, and bridges the gap to more advanced powertrains. It also features Nissan's ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology. But it's also true for the concept car's design, which Infiniti says provides a simple, elegant solution to complex technological questions — offering a palate cleanser, if you will, for the complicated technologies hidden beneath the gleaming surfaces. Oddly enough, the futuristic-looking Q Inspiration owes a debt of gratitude to the Prototype 9, the concept based on a 1940s-style grand prix car that Infiniti released last year. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti's senior vice president for global design, said that project became "a kind of a blank canvas for us to play with" and allowed for new discovery and expression with minimal brush strokes. It also led designers back to Ma, the Japanese concept of mastery of empty space. We spoke with Albaisa about how the concept's design echoes the theme of bridging the present and future. 1. The cabin's forward proportion and roominess Using the space-efficient VC-Turbo engine gave the designers space to shift the cabin forward and move the A-pillars back, creating a more centered and elongated cabin, with maximum headroom. The interior is clean, with orange and black leather with orange accents and backlit birch wood accents. The center console is floating, providing seamless connectivity to technology and hiding mechanical elements. Albaisa says it's the first manifestation of Infiniti's new form language for an era of advanced powertrain and future technologies. 2. The grille In what Albaisa describes as "a little bit of an accident" and "kind of tongue-in-cheek," the Q Inspiration's grille is a kind of trompe l'oeuil phenomenon. From directly in front, you can see the small fins, but viewed from the side, they disappear. So much so that Albaisa said he was initially fooled. "From a functional point of view, we need to breathe," he said. "But I think in the future, where there'll be a lot different types of technology, probably the car can breathe less. So we don't need that dominating big open mouth.