Infiniti has just released four new G Anniversary Editions, built in commemoration of the Nissan luxury division’s 20th anniversary. Just 350 G Sedans and 200 each for the Coupe and Convertible will be available, scheduled to go on sale in mid-April in the US.

The Anniversary Editions are based on the high-spec “Journey” or AWD variants of the cars, which comes with a 328 bhp/365 Nm 3.7-litre V6 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission, Sport Package and 4-Wheel Active Steer (except Sedan AWD). The Convertible is offered with climate-controlled seats.

Anniversary Edition cars come in a new Graphite Shadow exterior colour and cabins appointed with Monaco Red leather. Coupe and Convertible interiors are accented with special Red-toned Maple and the sedan gets a new “Shodo-finish” aluminum trim. Other added equipment include special aluminum-alloys, W-rated summer performance tyres, Midnight Black grille, unique front chin spoiler, sport side sills (Coupe and Convertible) and rear spoiler (except Convertible). The Coupe also receives an updated rear fascia. Prices range from $43,350 to $54,900 in the States.

Infiniti seems to be doing a better job as “the Asian BMW” than Lexus. Established in America but new to Europe, the former’s current cars are widely regarded as driver’s machines. I remember the G37 coupe beating the 3-Series Coupe in an Autocar UK shootout; a BMW coming in second best is a rare event.

Hi res images after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury marque, is a young brand in the European scene, and is currently still in the process of creating brand awareness and starting up operations. Infiniti’s current Euro range consists of its crossovers and the G family of cars, but to make proper inroads in Europe, one needs a diesel, and for a brand which counts America and the Middle East as main markets, Infiniti has none, until now.

Calling it “phase two of the quiet assault on the European luxury car market” Infiniti has developed a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, the first in the brand’s 20 year history. It will initially be available in both the EX and FX crossovers and the M large sedan, which will make its debut this year. “Although we did investigate the possibility of adapting an existing large capacity diesel for Infiniti, we quickly established that nothing on the market met our exacting requirements,” said Jim Wright, VP of Infiniti Europe.

Designated V9X, the new V6 diesel is built in France and will also be used in Renault and Nissan cars. The direct injection Euro 5 engine produces 235 bhp and class-leading torque output of 550 Nm. As a comparison, BMW’s 3.0d engine makes 245 bhp and 540 Nm. Peak torque is achieved from 1,750 rpm all the way to 2,500 rpm, while as much as 500 Nm is available from just 1,500 rpm. Infiniti says that idle speed is exceptionally low at 650 rpm “with none of the NVH usually associated with a diesel”. It will be paired to a seven-speed auto standard on both crossovers.

Interestingly, Infiniti did not use aluminium or cast iron for the engine block, but Compacted Graphite Iron. CGI is said to offer all the benefits of cast iron and more – it has higher levels of stiffness and noise absorption – but without the weight penalty. And while CGI is heavier than a pure aluminium block, Infiniti says there is no need to add stiffening ribs or extra sound deadening material so the weight gain is comparatively modest. The V9X has the lowest vibrations of all benchmarked engines, according to the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

To adapt the EX and FX to the diesel engine, they get new front subframes, different front bumper designs to enhance air flow as well as redesigned sheet metal within the engine bay to house additional radiators.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

The shapely Infiniti FX is one of the most distinctive looking crossovers around, with enough fire in the belly to challenge fast 4X4s such as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X6. It’s an alternative rather than a default choice so it’s not easy to spot one in Europe (Nissan’s luxury brand was launched there in 2008) but the rare is about to get rarer still with this Limited Edition.

The FX Limited Edition will be limited to just 100 units across Western Europe, all individually numbered. Based on the already dramatic FX37S (316 bhp 3.7-litre V6) and FX50S (385 bhp 5.0-litre V8), the Limited Edition features Black Obsidian ‘Scratch Guard’ paintwork as standard, with the pictured Moonlight White pearl metallic available as an option. Specially commissioned 21 inch ‘Turbine’ alloys are finished in dark Graphite. The radiator grille, side air vents and roof rails are similarly coordinated.

The interior reveals illuminated entry guards and fine materials, including supple Graphite leather upholstered seats, upper door panels and dashboard with contrasting stitching and Alcantara headlining. Genuine carbon fibre is used extensively on the dashboard, centre console and door panels, replacing the standard maple wood veneer. Completing the kit list is Infiniti’s Connectiviti+ system which includes an 11-speaker Bose stereo, the Michelin Guide, full iPod connectivity and a 10GB music box with Gracenotes database. An option on the standard FX37S, Connectiviti+ is joined on by Infiniti’s trick Around View Monitor park assist.

Gallery after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

We see alot of Nissan Skylines sedans here in Malaysia, which has completely nothing to do with the Godzilla R34 but is instead what Nissan decided to call the Infiniti G in Japan, but we don’t really see the Skyline’s older brother the Fuga here, which is also known as the Infiniti M. If you recall, the Infiniti M was revealed earlier this year at Pebble Beach but what we got was a “virtual” reveal using 3D projection and a set of promotional photos. Today Infiniti has decided to release a set of actual photos of the car.

The European press release only talks about an M37 so it could mean that the V8-powered M56 is going to be a US-only thing. But what Infiniti Europe will get is a version equipped with a turbodiesel V6, with more details on the oil burner to be revealed only next year. This is likely the new Renault-Nissan turbodiesel V6 with 235 horses and 450Nm of torque.

Look after the jump for the new set of real photos.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

One of the highlights of the Infiniti M’s reveal at Pebble Beach that the Japanese company kept pimping before the launch was the fact that it was going to use an innovative 3D projection system in the unveiling ceremony. Of course those who weren’t there could not see this but fortunately Infiniti decided to record the whole thing so we could see what they were talking about exactly. The car seems to appear bit by bit, part by part, in a way that reminded me of the scenes in Hollow Man. Watch the video after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

The new Infiniti M is here. It was shown at the 59th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as a 3D projection on a clay model but Infiniti have also released some product photos including one of the interior so we can check out the car’s details.

Two models will be offered – the M37 and the M56, with a V6 and V8 engine respectively. The M37 will be powered by Nissan’s new 3.7 liter V6 engine while the M56 will be powered by the 5.6 liter VK56DE twin-cam V8.

I can imagine many tuners flocking excitedly to the V8 engine as a smaller displacement variant of the VK engine is also used by Nismo in FIA GT1 racing in a V8-powered Nissan GT-R, producing over 600 horses. In stock form though it makes about 317 to 320 horses installed in various Nissan and Infiniti trucks depending on tune.

I’m not really digging the design – it feels too American but I suppose that’s how it has to be considering the brand’s primary market is the US. The current Infiniti M is sold in Japan as the Nissan Fuga so I think we can expect this to end up as the new Fuga.

Look after the jump for 4 photos of the new “M”.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

As previously posted, Infiniti will be “projecting” an image of the next generation Infiniti M sedan at the Pebble Beach concourse sometime this month. Granted that even then we won’t be able to see the car, just a projection of it on a model, but all we have now is this silhouette. It’s got quite an interesting shoulderline that rises up at the end like a sports coupe, but the Infiniti M (sold as the Nissan Fuga in Japan) is a four door car so I’m quite curious to see the end result.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

New and cool ways of launching products are a sure way of getting more attention to your product in a sea of press releases. The word is that despite not having an actual showcar model of the next generation Infiniti M-series ready yet, it will be displaying a foam mold model at the Pebble Beach show coming up in August.

Now you might be thinking, what’s the use of a foam mold? Wouldn’t that only show the overall silhouette of the car? Here’s the unique part – apparently Infiniti will be using 3D projection systems to project a digital rendering of the next generation M onto the mold.

The Infiniti M is currently available as the M35 and M45, and is Infiniti’s rear wheel drive answer to the 5-Series, E-Class, GS, A6, and etc. The car is known as the Nissan Fuga in Japan, where the Infiniti brand is not present, like how the Infiniti G is known as the Nissan Skyline and most recently, the Infiniti EX as the Skyline Crossover.

The top of the range next generation M will most likely be called the Infiniti M50, featuring the VK50VE 5.0 liter V8 producing 390 horses and 500Nm of torque, while the baseline could either be an M35 or an M37 featuring either a 3.5 liter V6 or a 3.7 liter V6 respectively. The 3.7 liter did not really phase out the 3.5 liter and both engines seem to be in use concurrently in the Nissan stables.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Nissan has uncovered the Infiniti Essence Concept which also seem to like the Zagato Perana Z-One sports car. This sexy looking concept also has hints of the Maserati GranTurismo especially with its front fascia. But what differentiates the Essence concept from the first two vehicles mentioned above is that, apart from featuring a typical 434HP 3.7 liter V6 with twin turbos and direct injection, this sports car also features an electric drive system, hence, it is called a gas-electric hybrid sports car.

This also means that apart from the obvious improvement in fuel efficiency and a reduced emissions output, the Essence gets an extra 158HP from its electric motor which is also called a “3D Motor” that draws its energy from a lithium ion battery pack. Hence, total power output is rated at 592HP. Energy usage is fully optimized thanks to two separate clutches which “switch in” the motors when required. The reason behind the the 3D term is that its design was achieved by utilizing a 3D magnetic field analysis to optimize the layout of the electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets.

Safety wise, the concept comes fitted with Distance Control Assist (DCA), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Side Collision Prevention (SCP) and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP) that make up the Safety Shield system. The driver-focused interior which is finished in a combination of leather, Alcantara and hand-painted wood features a flat-bottomed steering wheel and chronometer-style dials. In fact, the auto maker has collaborated with famous designer label Louis Vuitton to produce a set of high quality luggage made to fit the car’s boot area exactly. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Hot on the heels of the Lexus IS250C is the Infiniti G37 Convertible which will make its European debut in the summer of 2009. The car will only make its first public appearance at the 2008 LA Auto Show this November but a teaser photo of the side profile has been previously revealed, and now a second teaser image is out showing a rear three quarter view. Look after the jump for the first teaser image.


Click to enlarge

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

A first photo of the upcoming convertible version of the Infiniti G37 has been released. The Infiniti G37 Convertible will be unveiled live to the public at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and will go on sale in the US market in early 2009.

The convertible will feature a 3-piece folding hard top, and its interior’s audio and climate control systems have been tuned to operate at optimum settings whether the top is up or down. Like the G37 Sedan and Coupe, the G37 Convertible will feature the new VQ37VHR engine producing 330 horsepower and 366Nm of torque.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Infiniti has announced a convertible version of the Infiniti G range, which will join its sedan and coupe siblings at the 2008 Los Angeles Motor Show in November.

The Infiniti G range currently consists of the G37 Sedan and G37 Coupe. All-wheel drive versions are also available in the form of the G37x, but don’t expect it to exhibit the same performance as the high-tech version in the Nissan GT-R.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Examples of modifications to the European Infinitis that are set to be launched in 9 European markets October this year are knobs instead of push-button switches on the center consoles, heated seats, retuned suspensions, bigger brakes, more powerful windshield wipers, heavier window seals, and between 300 to 500 other changes per car. According to Infiniti, these are all things that an European customer is more used to.

Nissan’s 2.5 liter inline-4 engine may also make its way into an Infiniti, as Europeans are warmer to smaller displacement engines, as compared to the displacement and V8-obsessed American buyer.

Exterior aesthetics may also change, although these changes will likely be minor changes such as the difference between the European Mazda 6 and the American Mazda 6, rather than two outrightly different cars like the American Accord and the European Accord.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

The quirky looking new Infiniti FX joints its smaller sibling the EX in the luxury Japanese automakers line-up. It is another crossover SUV, a fusion of a sports car and an SUV according to Infiniti. It is built on the same FM (Front Midship) platform as the Infiniti G37 and G37 Coupe, which is a rear wheel drive platform, with the option for AWD.

The flagship FX50 model will feature the new VK50VE V8 with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) continuously variable valve lift. It produces 390 horsepower and 500Nm of torque, mated to a new 7-speed automatic with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), Downshift Rev Matching (fancy name for throttle blipping) and manually shiftable via solid magnesium paddle shifters.

The FX37 has relatively less power and uses a 3.7 liter V6 engine producing 320 PS at 7,000rpm and 360Nm of torque. It also has the 7-speed throttle blipping automatic.

Power is sent to all four wheels via the ATTESA E-TS with Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Traction Control (TCS). ESP can be switched off if desired. If all-wheel drive is not required, the ATTESA E-TS system will channel 100% of torque to the rear wheels.

The suspension at the front is a double wishbone setup, which replaces the previous model FX’s MacPherson strut setup. Standard FX50 dampers are active Continuous Damping Control (CDC) electronically controlled shock absorbers. It takes the input from a variety of sensors and continuously alters the damping of the shocks to provide optimal ride and handling, according to two modes – Auto or Sport.

The FX50 rides on very lightweight 21 inch Enkei wheels wrapped with 265/45R21 tyres. The FX37 has wheels an inch smaller as standard, but 21 inch wheels are also able to be specified by choosing the Sport pack, which also includes the active CDC dampers.

More photos after the jump.

Click to enlarge

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Earlier this week I wrote about how a stretched 4-door version of the Nissan GT-R to be sold under the Infiniti badge in markets like the US. Theophilus Chin has quickly whipped up a 4-door version of the Nissan GT-R with an Infiniti badge in front.

Somehow I don’t think a stretched version of the GT-R body works well aesthetically because of the way the front wheel arches bulge out. I think Infiniti would have to drastically restyle the car with only its underpinings remaining.

Related Posts:
Infiniti-badged 4-door GT-R coming soon?

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

The new 4-door performance car will be known as the Infiniti R50, and will use a stretched version of the Nissan GT-R platform.

What’s going to be in the engine bay is still a question though, as supply is an issue for the hand-built VQ38DETT. A VK-based V8 like the 390 horsepower VK50VE may be used instead, but this is a big horsepower deficit against the VQ’s 473 horses.

Source

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

The production version of the Infiniti EX Concept revealed earlier in March this year has been unveiled to the public. The new Infiniti EX SUV comes in EX35 guise and features Nissan’s fourth generation VQ35HR 3.5 liter V6 engine putting out 290 horsepower. All that power is channeled through all four wheels through a 5-speed automatic transmission and Nissan’s new ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) all-wheel drive system.

Infiniti calls this one a crossover coupe of sorts, putting it head to head against the upcoming BMW X6 crossover. Infiniti says for the moment since there are no other crossover SUV-coupes in that price segment it’s direct rivals are the BMW X3 3.0si and the Audi A4 3.2 V6 FSI quattro avant station wagon.

Other neat features include Around View Monitor (AVM) which uses four small cameras to give the driver a top-down view of the vehicle perimeter for parking assistance. It also has “Scratch Shield”, a special clearcoat paint that uses a special highly elastic resin which automatically repairs scratches such as fingernail scratches under door handles. This repair process takes anytime between one day to one week depending on ambient temperature and scratch depth. Scratch Shield remains effective up to 3 years.

Related Posts:
Infiniti EX Concept: future Infiniti EX35

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

I missed a very important photo in the recent coverage of the new Infiniti G37 Coupe. A photo of the interior! Well, here’s one, and you can click on it for an enlarged version for your viewing pleasure. For more details on the Infiniti G37 Coupe, look at the related posts linked below.

Related Posts
Infiniti G37 Official Details Released
Infiniti G37 features new VQ37VHR engine

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

This is Infiniti’s EX Concept, a new crossover SUV that’s one segment smaller than the larger FX SUV, taking on the likes of the BMW X3 and the upcoming Audi Q5. It will be displayed at the NYIAS 2007. The EX Concept is most likely to go into production as an EX35, using either a VQ35DE or a VQ35HR engine, though the prior makes more sense to me, since the VQ35DE engine has more torque than it’s HQ sibling, thus being more suitable for an SUV application.

While still a concept at the moment, Infiniti says the EX is 95% ready. Plus some of the features on the concept will not make it into production, for example a liquid crystal glass roof that can change from a transparent state to a more translucent appearance.

Something new is the Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, which is an evolution of Infiniti’s existing production Lane Departure Warning System. This further enhances the warning system by actually stopping the sleepy driver from accidentally moving out of his lane rather than just warning him. Brakes are applied individually to begin a yaw movement back into the intended lane.

One more rear view shot after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Here are more details on the Infinity G37 Coupe, this time officially from Infiniti’s UK Press Release. Like previously mentioned, the new engine is the VQ35VHR. Read my previous post for more details on the engine. Other driving-related details include either a 5-speed auto or a 6-speed manual, and a 4-Wheel Active Steer (4AWS) system.

Gadgetry include a touch screen satnav, a RearView monitor for those tight parking situations, an optional 11-speaker Infiniti Studio on Wheels audio system by Bose with 24-bit Burr Brown DAC, 3-way door speaker arrays with 10-inch woofers and a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box hard drive, with the entertainment system integrated with the satnav system.

Full spec sheet and more photos after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Infiniti has updated their G Coupe with a new engine. Some might recognise this car as the Nissan Skyline V35, which carries the legend’s moniker but hardly any of it’s spirit. For one, the potent RB blown inline-6 is gone. Nevertheless, let’s have a look at Infiniti’s new luxury sports coupe.

The new Infiniti G37 is the world’s first application of Nissan/Infiniti’s new VQ37VHR engine, basically a stroked VQ35 with a new head and intake design as well as a higher compression ratio. It now makes 330 horsepower and 366Nm of torque, yet is expected to consume less fuel than the VQ35 on EPA’s fuel economy ratings. Why is that so?

Nissan has equipped with VQ37VHR with a variable valve timing and lift system called VVEL, or Variable Valve Event and Lift. It works similiar to technologies like BMW’s Valvetronic and Honda’s SOHC i-VTEC. VVEL removes the need for a throttle butterfly, improving the torque curve and fuel consumption at both the top and low ranges of the rev range. Nissan says VVEL has 32% quicker response, is 20% smaller and uses 52% less parts than BMW’s Valvetronic.

In the Infiniti G37, the VQ37VHR is mated either to a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic, and will have a limited slip differential. The Infiniti G37 also has four wheel steering. Wheels are massive 18 inch units that hide the largest rotors in the segment behind it’s multi-spoke: 14 inch discs at the front and 13.8 inch discs at the rear, with four piston and two piston calipers respectively.

A convertible version of the G37 is also rumoured to be coming in 2008. More photos after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Infiniti showcased a new concept car at the 2006 North American International Auto Show at Detroit. This new Infiniti Coupe concept might just be the base for development of the next Infiniti G35.

The Infinity Coupe Concept portrays a very basic but sleek bare metal look, but this styling was executed very well considering how nice it looks. Heh. Those huge wheels are 20-inchers wrapped in 255/35/R20 for the front and 275/35/R20 for the rear. The car has a full-length glass roof panel which is pretty cool.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.

Nissan Motor Co has decided the new R35 Skyline GT-R will be sold in the US under the Infiniti brand, as the Infiniti GT-R.

Nissan executives have been battling for the Skyline to debut with a Nissan badge instead of an Infiniti badge because the Skyline is known to be a Nissan globally, and in games such as Gran Turismo. But studies have shown that sales might suffer if a premium sports car has a Nissan badge on it. The Nissan badge generally commands a lower price tag than Infiniti’s.

The Volkswagen Phaeton suffere the same fate, though it’s a great luxury car people preferred spending money on the Audi A8 to get the more prestigious Audi badge.

The ability to command premium pricing is important as the car will have a sticker price of USD$65,000. It will have all-wheel drive and horsepower figures upwards of 400.

More photos of the GT-R PROTO available here.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 20 Mar 10 01:10:01 +0000.