This isn’t the first time we hear about a possible Infiniti GT-R model. In fact, this rumor took root as soon as the Nissan GT-R was launched back in 2008, and has resurfaced numerous times since then. Now, it’s making another appearance. According to British magazine CAR, Infiniti may offer a GT-R version after all, hinted by Francois Bancon, Head of Advanced Planning for Infiniti in Tokyo. He stated that the GT-R platform is too good to use for only one model. In fact, he said that the company is taking under consideration ’three or four’ proposals and that an Infiniti GT-R is one of them.
If the decision does lie with the Infiniti GT-R, it would need to counteract the Nissan GT-R’s power with sophistication: "It would have to be softer than the GT-R. And that’s extremely difficult to do. You can’t easily tweak the GT-R to deliver the sophisticated, more refined performance we would need on an Infiniti."
A final decision on the Infiniti GT-R will be made in the next two or three years and, if chosen, a production version should arrive in the next five years.
While everyone is focused on the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Infiniti is jumping the gun on the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March by offering the first details on their Electric Sports Car Concept. Nissan’s luxury counterpart has described the ESCC as a highly advanced, range-extending electric sports car that was created to extend the potential for high performance, low emission electric cars.
When explaining the strategy behind the concept, Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and Infiniti said: "At the Geneva show next year, we will present our vision for a totally new kind of inspired premium performance car. Infiniti already has hybrid and clean diesel models on sale. And with an all-electric sedan on the way, the natural next step was to push the boundaries where performance and the environment intersect."
More details about the new Infiniti sports concept will be revealed in the upcoming months. Stay tuned!
UPDATE 02/02/2012: Infiniti has announced that the concept car to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show will be called EMERG-E and that it "will be the first car from the brand to not only have a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability, but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling." Check out the new teaser images in the gallery provided!
Hybrid vehicles aren’t generally looked at as fast machines capable of break-neck speeds. In truth, hybrids aren’t even marketed as such. Their true calling card is the promise of better fuel economy and improved CO2 emission ratings.
Unless of course you can find a way to marry all three elements the way Infiniti managed to do with the new M35h. Nissan’s luxury division has released a video of their new M35h sedan taking on the equally irrepressible 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.
Not one to back down from a German challenge for full-on hybrid supremacy, the M35h and the Panamera S Hybrid engaged in a quarter-mile drag race - with surprising results.
Not only did the 360-horsepower M35h complete its time in just 13.4 seconds - impressive for a hybrid! - but it also managed to spank the Panamera S Hybrid by a good second. On top of that, the time is also a marked improvement from their previous record time of 13.9031 seconds, eclipsing the Guinness World Record by a tidy half-a-second.
Check out the video and watch the Infiniti M35h show up the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hoopla surrounding the 2012 North American International Auto Show, but that doesn’t mean that we’re closing our eyes and ears to everything else going on in the automotive world. Especially when it comes to the Geneva Motor Show this March.
One automaker that’s looking to kick-start some buzz is Infiniti. Nissan’s luxury brand has officially released the first teaser image of a new electric sports car concept that’s going to break cover in Geneva.
Details are limited at this point, although we’ve been told that the car will carry a mid-mounted powertrain that will provide weight distribution and handling for the extended range vehicle. According to Infiniti, the still-to-be-named concept car will be an electrically-propelled vehicle that will make for a "vivid, engaging and sophisticated driving experience" for drivers everywhere.
It’s been no secret that Nissan is looking into bringing a new electric car in the US for some time now. This concept car could very well be the precursor to that car, and if we do say so ourselves, we’re looking forward to seeing what Infiniti has up its sleeve when the covers are pulled on this concept car at the Geneva Motor Show.
After displaying the JX Concept at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Infiniti has finalized the ideas behind the SUV with a production version unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new crossover will be offered in two models - the Infiniti JX35 FWD and Infiniti JX35 AWD - and will go on sale in the spring of 2012 at a starting price of $40,450 and $41,550 respectively.
The 2013 Infiniti JX has received emotive styling and craftsmanship, featuring the new Infiniti design language direction initiated with the Essence concept. It utilizes a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers
265 HP at 6,400 rpm and 248 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The engine is mated to a sport-tuned Continuously Variable Transmission to provide high responsiveness and seamless, efficient shifting feel.
One new technological feature that stands out from the rest is the Backup Collision Intervention system. This new system warns the driver if another vehicle is entering his path and, if needed, can even apply the brakes to help avoide the collision if the driver does not properly react in time.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Infiniti JX.
