Autoblog

We slid behind the wheel of the 2009 Infiniti M35 S last week in Napa, California. It was a quick jaunt, but we wanted to try out the newly revised powerplant under the hood. Yes, even thought the nomenclature remains the same, the Japanese automaker has swapped out the mass of aluminum up front for something a bit more updated and powerful. Find out how the 2009 Infiniti M35 S did after the jump.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.

A second teaser shot for the upcoming Infiniti G37 Convertible has found its way onto the web, and the timing couldn't be better considering the debut of the Lexus IS250C today at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Both cars will be setting their sites on the BMW 335i convertible, and the G37 'vert will be packing a 328-horsepower 3.7L V6 in its holster when the time comes. Other features include a three-piece folding hardtopIts and a seven-speed automatic transmission, as well as a completely redesigned rear end to accommodate the new roof. The G37 Convertible's official debut isn't until the LA Auto Show in November, at which time we'll get to fully see how the G37 Coupe translates into a convertible. Until then, check out the teasers in our gallery below.


[Source: Motor Authority]

We've just gotten confirmation that Infiniti will equip its European FX series crossover with the 330 hp, 3.7-liter V6 (VQ37VHR) and it's slated to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show next month.

Infiniti has decided to only offer the 3.7-liter V6 on its range of vehicles abroad, and there are no plans to bring the FX37 Stateside.

Infiniti's crossover will be available in both FX37 GT and FX37S versions, with 0-60 times in the 6.8-second range and a top speed of 145 mph. Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloys, Scratch Shield paint, all-wheel-drive, xenon headlamps and a seven-speed automatic gearbox controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles. The FX37S comes equipped with 21-inch wheels, sports seats and Continuous Damping Control.

Click above for a high-res gallery of Infiniti in Monterey.

Infiniti ramped up its presence in Monterey this year with the new G37 sedan and G37x coupe, the latter equipped with the automaker's advanced ATTESSA E-TSO all-wheel-drive system and seven-speed automatic gearbox. We're looking forward to seeing if the AWD coupe can retain the engaging driving characteristics of its RWD counterpart, while providing the security of all-wheel-drive for those of us that like to make a run into the mountains during the snow season.

Infiniti also used its time on the peninsula to show off the first image of the G37 convertible (we curbed our urge to take a picture of the picture), along with the release of the revised M35 and M35x. The 2009 model benefits from the automaker's scratch shield paint, new seven-speed auto 'box and an increase in output to 303 hp, while still boosting fuel economy by one mpg. We're eagerly anticipating the 3.7-liter V6 finding its way under the hood of the M sometime around the turn of the decade, with some G-inspired styling to match its newfound horsepower.

Click above image to enlarge

Note to the Lexus SC430: it is now beyond over for you. Infiniti, Nissan's BMW-hunting luxury brand, has unveiled the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible, a retractable hardtop 4-seater that preserves the Coupe's good looks even with its 3-piece folding metal roof neatly tucked out of sight, as you can see here. Power from the 3.7L V6 will be in excess of 320 horses, and numerous comparos against the BMW 335i convertible are inevitable. You can practically hear the buff mags reserving track time as we speak. Sunny Los Angeles will be the venue for the car's formal unveiling in November, and likely a fertile ground for sales when the time comes.

[Source: Infiniti]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Infiniti G37S

This weekend is of course the big Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California, and a number of automakers will be on hand to debut vehicles there. Infiniti is one of them and will be showing off a few new models on the greens of Pebble Beach, one of which is this, the G37S. What you see is not much different than the G35 on sale now, save for a few exterior tweaks including new wheels. What is different is that Infiniti's G sedan will get the same mechanical hardware found in the G37 Coupe. That means the superlative VQ-series 3.7L V6 producing 328 horsepower will be standard equipment, which necessitates the change in nomenclature for the 2009 model year from G35 to G37. Transmissions will include a 6-speed manual or Infiniti's new 7-speed automatic, and the brand is also offering a new optional brake package that adds 4-piston front/2-piston rear brakes and larger rotors. Those wheels are the new 18-inch wheel design with standard Scratch Shield self-healing paint. Infiniti will show more this weekend than just the G37S, including the G37 convertible and G37x, and we already have bloggers in place on the back nine to report it all.


[Source: Supercars.net]

Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may have dismissed the notion of an Infiniti sedan based on the GT-R as "online blog speculation", but that won't stop the automotive press from churning out renderings just the same. Following an earlier sketch commissioned by Motor Trend comes the computer rendering you see above, predicting what a GT-R-derived Infiniti sports-sedan could look like. The rendering comes courtesy of Japan's Top Car magazine, and does a good job of translating the GT-R's styling into an even bigger, more commodious package.

If they built it, the four-door GT-R would certainly have the looks to stand its ground against the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and the eventual production version of the BMW Concept CS. And with GT-R underpinnings, it would most definitely have the performance to match.

[Source: GTR-World via GTRBlog]

While most of the attention Nissan has been getting recently revolves around the GT-R sportscar, its bread-and-butter models, like the Sentra S and the new Murano, have gotten slight bumps in price. The compact sedan sees an increase from $16,930, which included a $660 destination charge to $17,030, including a higher $695 destination charge. The Murano was just redesigned and launched with a mildly lowered price for this model year. Not so much anymore, as it now jumps to $29,250, including a slightly raised $780 destination charge.

In addition to these incremental sticker price adjustments, Nissan has announced a mild increase to the destination charges for all of its 2008 and 2009 model-year vehicles carrying Nissan or Infiniti badges. Though Nissan has yet to comment on the reason for the price hikes, we'd imagine that the weak U.S. dollar and high fuel prices undoubtedly play a part in both the base price bump and the associated destination charge increases.


[Source: Inside Line]

Along with the impending refreshening of Nissan's modern-day Z, the internet has been abuzz for about a year with rumors of a new smaller and less expensive coupe based on the same platform. This rear-wheel-drive coupe would compete against the upcoming Toyota/Subaru sports coupe, which also are also to be driven by the rear wheels. What we haven't expected, though, is an Infiniti version of this 240SX revival. According to rumors, the Nissan version would get a small displacement four-banger while its big brother from Infiniti would get a V6 displacing 2.5 liters.

Inside Line reports that this new entry-level Infiniti will be displayed at an as yet unnamed auto show sometime within the next year. Color us awfully excited at the prospect of RWD coupes from the likes of Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and now Infiniti, all of which are set for the American market. Affordable performance never goes out of style, even when gas prices are this high.

[Source: Inside Line]

According to Car and Driver, a preliminary version of the Nissan GT-R V-Spec -- that stands for Victory Specification, mind you -- could be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this year and may even be ready for sale by the end of the year. The V-Spec, whose actual specs have not been revealed, is the even better, faster, stronger version of the plain old blindingly fast Nissan GT-R. The V will be lower and more powerful than the regular GT-R, but no one knows yet by exactly how much.

Apparently Nissan has also admitted that the $70,000 GT-R is currently a loss-leader. As the company rolls out more cars on the same platform, like an Infiniti version in a year or so, the GT-R's balance sheet will begin to show profit. Speaking of that Infiniti version, it will be intriguing to see how they combine Nissan gadgetry with Infiniti luxury. And although the V-Spec could be shown in just a few months and on sale by December, it isn't expected to go on sale in the U.S. until 2010.

[Source: Car and Driver via Motor Authority]