Car Throttle

Infiniti is doing well for itself lately, expanding the lineup and introducing lucrative new models like the mid-size M. For now, that car will serve as the brand's flagship. There is also talk about a proper M coupe as well as a four-door coupe model to compete against the Audi A7 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz CLS. Infiniti is also making moves at the other end of the spectrum however, introducing a new engine and lower price tag model for the G lineup. Back in January, Edmunds Inside Line was the outlet to first confirm the introduction of a G with a smaller V-6. We've heard some rumors that the G lineup would be getting four-cylinder engines sourced from Mercedes. So far, that hasn't happened. We like the idea

I'm an unabashed fan of Infiniti. They seem to "get" what enthusiasts want much more than their two primary competitors, namely Acura and Lexus.  All three of these Japanese-brand luxury channels have been slinging their wares in the 'states for 20+years now, but while Lexus continues to bark up the "I'm too rich for a Buick" tree and Acura continues to make cars that are - how do I put this nicely - difficult to look at, Infiniti is busy cranking out gorgeous cars on balanced rear wheel drive chassis with massive snarly engines and tons of horsepower for reasonable prices. What they haven't had, until now, is an AMG or M-style performance division.  But when you consider that their cars accelerate faster and handle better than

Mercedes-Benz, Renault and Nissan are not three companies you normally see together. However, that has changed - yesterday, as speculated, the companies announced a new partnership for engines and vehicle joint development. It was commenced by each purchasing a small 3.1 percent stake in the other conpany. And they say politics makes strange bedfellows! We're wondering the strategic logic behind this, and this bit of news about the Infiniti lineup is just one of the implications of this far-reaching deal. Word has broke right on this news right from the top (courtesy of Automotive News - subscription required) - Renault-Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn. He said that the Infiniti's popular BMW-fighting lineup, the G, will be receiving Mercedes four-cylinder engines sometime in the future. The deal comes as part of the company's

On Wednesday, CarThrottle covered news about the Infiniti G sedan getting a new, smaller displacement engine to better compete on the low-end. Edmunds Inside Line reported the information, but some of the details have changed since the original. Unfortunately, that "detail" is the turbocharger. 250 horsepower was the number to be expected according to the previous report. Now, word is we're getting the naturally aspirated version, making 210 hp, less than the 230 hp of the BMW 328i but higher than the the Lexus IS250, which comes in at 204 hp. Infiniti has been known for the excellent value proposition offered by its vehicles, so we're not sure how this is going to work in the marketplace. To be viable, it needs to

The Infiniti G lineup has always been known primarily by the G35 and G37 designations. Infiniti is unique in that it uses the liter designations for its models. That's why this new rumor is pretty interesting, if only for a marketing standpoint. G25? Looks a bit, odd written down. Edmunds Inside Line is the one to get this scoop. The G37 has been noted for its impressive level of standard horsepower, coming in at 325 ponies in its $33,250 base price. Infiniti wants take things down a bit with a new base model that will help to better tackle the BMW 328i. They plan to use the G25 to do that. With turbocharging, Inside Line says to expect around 250 horsepower from the car's Nissan

The Los Angeles International Auto Show is in full swing, and last night Infiniti held a special event at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to introduce two new models - the M and updated G sedan. The most important was, of course, the new Infiniti M. But, the car that really took off and started Infiniti's ascension into the upper leagues, the G sedan, has gotten some attention too in the form of an update to bring it line with the new M. The front end gets new headlights, reshaped bumper (that includes relocated foglights) and a new grille. Other changes are minor, like new 17-inch alloy wheels and two additional color options - Smoky Quartz and Graphite Shadow. Inside the biggest changes are a revised

Infiniti has been great at utilizing the internet and using new ways to debut its vehicles. The Infiniti M was first seen at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance virtually - virtually as in viewers could see the debut on a webcast but also, the M wasn't even there. A new projection technology was used that projected an image of the new vehicle onto a clay model. Live images of preproduction Infiniti M models were also snapped back in September. Now, the Infiniti M is getting another live reveal over the internet - this time an actual vehicle. The event is taking place in Beverly Hills, with only 60 people in attendance at the actual location. Also set to be debuted is the updated 2010 G and

Somewhere out there, a billionaire just jumped for joy and shouted "Finally!" Because what the world really needed was a 700 horsepower, 973 lb-ft of torque... military-vehicle-turned-passenger vehicle, built by Mercedes-Benz, and fettled by Brabus. This sort of discussion is completely pointless when talking about this type of car, of course.  Acclaimed German tuning house Brabus released pictures and detailed information of their latest mentalist bahn-burning Benz, and it's...  well, insane. The company starts with a basic Geländewagen - a G500 to us in the US - and ditches the stock, weak little 5.0L V8.  In goes the 36-valve, 5.5L biturbo V12 from the large S600 sedan, which I'd imagine is somewhat of a tight fit.  Not content with the 500+bhp this mill produces stock, the