1997 Infiniti Q45, No Reserve on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2025 Infiniti QX80 teased with features from the QX Monograph Concept

Infiniti began talking about its brand turnaround, and how that would affect the flagship QX80 SUV, toward the end of 2022. When the automaker debuted the QX Monograph Concept at last year's Pebble Beach Concours, the QX80 didn't get a mention in the announcement. However, the Monograph's size and lines made it clear where the top line was headed, those lines given a real work to do since designers didn't lean on the crutch of chrome to cheat their way to visual interest. The production QX80 is nearly here, Infiniti ready with the first installment of a teaser campaign in the runup to the SUV's March 20 online debut. The handful of images and a silhouette at the end of the video show plenty of Monograph details will make their way to showrooms as part of the new design language called Artistry in Motion. The video is barely about the vehicle, more about the camouflage pattern best seen in the photos. Infiniti worked with Japanese digital generative artist Kaoru Tanaka to create a pattern for the wrap that's less confusing to the eye than the errant lines and swirls in typical camo, a title card telling us, "[We] believe our artistry in motion is too extraordinary to remain completely hidden."  The photos show the good stuff. The split headlights and "piano key" DRLs from the Monograph are there, so too are flush door handles, a trim identifier. a full-width taillight and a deeply sculpted rear bumper. The QX80 lives on in the fender vent, shorn of chrome, though. One of the marquee features will be a 24-speaker Klipsch audio system that Infiniti showed at CES. And if an image at the dedicated site for the new QX80 is accurate, there will be an illuminated Infiniti badge in the grille and the most ornate puddle lights on the market. Previous reports have a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 displacing the current 5.6-liter V8 under the hood. The V6 is expected to make about 450 horsepower, 50 more than the V8, while being more fuel efficient about it. The menu of changes will likely take the MSRP above the $80,000 mark. After the March 20 debut, the QX80 gets a public debut at the New York Auto Show. Related video:

Infiniti Q30 will debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

The Infiniti Q30 made its debut as a svelte concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, two years later, the luxury hatchback will make a big return to the German show in September to launch in production guise. Before the end of the year, the first Q30s will start showing up for sale in European showrooms to take on rivals like the Audi A3. To tease the launch, Infiniti has released this single image of the Q30 going through final validation testing on the road. Unfortunately, it's still wearing a very effective camouflage pattern – just like some previously spied examples. Still, we can tell that there are definite similarities to the hatchback's stylish QX30 compact crossover sibling, which is also on the way. Both of them have sharply pointed, narrow headlights and steeply raked hatches. We can also just make out the deeply creased swage line that cuts through the front door handles and then dips down in this photo. Infiniti promises more details to come about the Q30 before the Frankfurt launch. At least for European examples, assembly is reportedly earmarked for the Sunderland factory in the UK. Related Video: Infiniti Q30 to debut at Frankfurt IAA 2015 All-new Q30 compact entry to debut 90 days from today to the public Infiniti's first-ever compact car currently going through validation and dynamic tuning in Europe Sales to begin in Europe before end of 2015 HONG KONG – Infiniti will unveil its first-ever compact car at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September this year (September 17 to 27). Two years after the Infiniti Q30 Concept debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt show, the production version of this segment-spanning compact car will be revealed at the show this year. Infiniti is in the final stages of preparing the launch. Dynamic testing and ultimate validation is currently taking place across the UK and throughout mainland Europe where development of the vehicle has been completed at the company's Engineering Center in Cranfield, UK, since 2014. The Q30 will go on sale in Europe towards the end of 2015 with other markets to follow subsequently. More news on the Infiniti Q30 active compact will be released closer to the Frankfurt show in September. About Infiniti Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States and China.

2015 Russian Grand Prix was full of crashes and DNFs

Mercedes-AMG Petronas non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said of Lewis Hamilton's race-day domination this year, "The guy is driving like a god." Qualifying is another story, though – teammate Nico Rosberg taking pole proved that sometimes deities have to settle for second on the grid. Williams driver Valtteri Bottas surprised himself and his team with third place, half a second behind Hamilton but 0.05 sec ahead of the first Ferrari driven by Sebastian Vettel, while a mistake on Kimi Raikkonen's final flying lap left him in fifth, 0.4 sec behind Vettel. The Sahara Force India team had a good showing, with Nico Hulkenberg qualifying sixth just ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in seventh. It's the first time they've had both drivers in the top ten on the grid since the 2014 British Grand Prix. Romain Grosjean is leaving the stormy waters of Lotus at the end of the year for the unknown waters of Haas F1, but he made the shoestring operation look really good before Renault takes over by taking eighth place on the grid. Max Verstappen qualified well again with ninth in the Toro Rosso, ahead of the first Infiniti Red Bull Racing of Daniel Ricciardo in tenth. Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat lined up eleventh for his home grand prix, certainly a disappointment after locking up fifth place on the grid last year in a Toro Rosso. When Pirelli brought soft and supersoft compounds to Sochi, the company said it hoped this year's race would be better than last year's. We're sure this first-lap mishap isn't what they meant. Rosberg and Hamilton dragged it down to Turn 1, with Rosberg getting the inside line. Hamilton had to go wide at Turn 2 as Rosberg fought to hold position, but they left a mess in their wake: Hulkenberg spun going into Turn 2 and stopped in the middle of the track, and Marcus Ericsson in the Sauber – who'd started 16th – collided with him. Both cars were out of the race immediately, and the Safety Car came in. The Safety Car returned to the pits on Lap 3 Rosberg led the field, but just two laps later the German complained of a sticking throttle pedal. Two laps later he had to retire, unable to drive the car properly. That put Hamilton at the front, and we've seen that race a bunch of times before. He built a double-digit lead and never lost it.