Another Infiniti JX Crossover Teaser

August 4, 2011 at 3:29pm by Alexander Stoklosa

It’s that time of the week again when we see what new part of the 2013 JX Infiniti wants us to see. Each of the past four weeks, Infiniti has released one image of the JX seven-seat crossover that it will debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. This week’s glimpse shows us the tail, which, somewhat unsurprisingly, comes in somewhere between Infiniti’s FX crossover and QX56 SUV. Between last week’s full-frontal shot and earlier images that show the JX’s flanks, it would seem that we have a fairly decent idea of what it will look like. Perhaps next week Infiniti’s sneak-peek plans will expand to include some looks at the JX’s interior.

Tags: Infiniti, Infiniti JX |

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2012 Honda Crosstour Drops Accord From Name, Gets More Equipment

August 4, 2011 at 3:30pm by Alexander Stoklosa

Honda’s Crosstour—the odd wagon/humpback/crossover amalgam has had “Accord” dropped from its name—gets a host of new features and a slightly higher price tag for 2012. The Crosstour again comes in three flavors: EX, EX-L, and EX-L with navigation, and in front- and all-wheel-drive guise (the latter is only available on EX-L models). The entry EX model gains Bluetooth connectivity, automatic headlights, USB audio connection, and a backup camera that sends its signal to a display in the rearview mirror, a feature that previously required buyers to step up to nav-equipped EX-L models, on which the view aft is displayed through the central nav screen.

The elevated equipment levels push the price of the front-wheel-drive EX model up to $31,150, a $350 increase over the 2011 EX. Prices for the 2012 front-wheel-drive EX-L see a more modest increase of $100, to $33,800. Prices for navigation-equipped EX-L models remain the same for 2012, and start at $35,900 for a front-drive model.

Other than the new kit, higher price, and streamlined name, the 2012 Honda Crosstour is still the same ugly duckling of the Honda family—albeit a versatile, higher-content ugly duckling.

Tags: Honda, Honda Crosstour |

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Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 99: 2012 Volkswagen Passat 3.6

August 4, 2011 at 4:15pm by Car and Driver

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. No one who commented figured out that this week’s sound came from the 2012 Volkswagen Passat 3.6. We had planned to reward the correct response with a copy of DiRT3 for PlayStation 3, but no winner means no prize. Be sure to check back next week when we celebrate the 100th episode of Name That Exhaust Note with an even better DiRT3-related prize!

Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.

2012 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)

Tags: Name That Exhaust Note, Volkswagen Passat |

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2012 Infiniti FX35 / FX50 Official Photos and Info: Face-Lift and a Limited Edition

BY ALEXANDER STOKLOSA
August 2011

The Infiniti FX is among the sportiest and style-focused crossovers, and while it can still turn heads three years after its last major redesign, it’s time for a refresh. When the current model was released in 2009, we ordered one up for a long-term test, and one of our favorite aspects was its sport-wagon-on-big-wheels look. This year, Infiniti carefully nipped and tucked, subtly tweaking the FX’s grille and front fascia while adding a limited-edition FX35 called the, uh, Limited Edition.

Etherea-Inspired Snout

The 2012 FX’s new grille marks the biggest change, morphing from the 2011 car’s elegantly simple opening into a more aggressive, pinched form cribbed from Infiniti’s Etherea concept (which in turn borrowed its grille design from the Essence concept). In addition to its new shape, the grille now is made up of thin chrome slats instead of black mesh. The lower front fascia gets more visual oomph courtesy of thin bands of chrome outlining the fog-light nacelles. Unfortunately, the FX’s chrome fender vents survived the refresh. The interior largely was left alone save for the instrument cluster, which gets a classier-looking, white-on-blue information display between the gauges that replaces the garish orange-on-red unit from before. The 2012 FX35 still is powered by a 303-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and available with rear- or all-wheel drive, while the FX50 carries over its 390-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 and standard all-wheel-drive.

Infiniti didn’t outline any specific equipment shuffling for the 2012 FX, but buyers can still spec their FXs with Premium, Deluxe, Touring, Technology, and Sport packages. As before, a bevy of highly annoying techno-gizmos is available, including active cruise control, lane-departure warning and prevention systems, brake assist, and collision warning. Every FX will come standard with Infiniti’s Personal Assistant, a phone-based 24-hour concierge service, which owners can call to get directions, emergency assistance, restaurant suggestions, and the like. While not touted as part of the press release, we know you can also use the PA to find answers to off-the-wall stuff like “Is cheerleading a sport?” or have the service check you in for a flight. The Personal Assistant service is free for the first four years.

Pricing Plus Limited Edition Deets

New this year, Infiniti will offer an all-wheel-drive FX35 Limited Edition trim that packs unique 21-inch turbine-look wheels wrapped in V-rated rubber, plus many of the FX’s more popular options, including adaptive headlights, navigation, and the Around View monitor. Any exterior trim bits that are chrome on normal FXs get a dark-graphite finish on the special FX35, of which just 550 will be built. Paired with the Iridium Blue paint that’s exclusive to the Limited Edition, the muted trim and wheels look great.

As to prices, they’re up only slightly over last year’s. The FX35 costs $850 more, which means $44,345 for a 2012 rear-driver and $45,795 for an AWD model. The 2012 FX50 jumps by $1750, to $60,245. The FX35 Limited Edition costs $52,445, the same amount required for a similarly spec’d 2011 FX35 (which means Deluxe Touring and Premium packages), with the added bonus that you’ll likely never see another one. The 2012 FX hits Infiniti dealerships in early October.

 

Lexus Releases Shadowy Picture of 2012 GS350, We Add Light

August 4, 2011 at 4:39pm by Stuart Fowle

If you look at the original teaser image of the 2012 Lexus GS350 below, you might be hard pressed to visualize anything more than a bigger IS350 with a giant grille. And while that description actually isn’t too far off, we’ve played with the picture to draw a few additional details into the light.

This isn’t the first time we’ve covered the next GS. Lexus conceptualized the car earlier this year in New York, then we spied a disguised car last month in Germany. Just a week later, we were invited to drive an equally camouflaged prototype. Now we see the uncovered front end, and we’re just a few weeks away from seeing the entire thing laid bare at the Pebble Beach Concours on August 18.

Back to this teaser: Not much has changed through the development process, from what we can see. The size and shape of the concept’s grille—which sort of looks like the profile of a witch’s cauldron—carries over, but with added chrome trim; we applaud Lexus for leaving the massive maw in place. The headlamps don’t look to be comprised wholly of LEDs, but the accent lights certainly are. Additional details gathered through our mad Photoshop skills include the lower grillework and the placement of the fog lights in the lower fascia. Everything is as we expected, and this GS should take Lexus design a step forward.

The interior will receive a similar overhaul. We know models with navigation will use a massive 12.3-inch screen just beneath a new analog clock, and our drive also uncovered signs of playfulness sorely lacking from the last model. Better looking and better to drive? Sounds good to us.

Tags: Lexus, Lexus GS, Lexus GS350 |

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Mini Conspires to Save The Manuals, Offers 500 Bucks Off Stick-Shift Cars

August 4, 2011 at 5:18pm by Davey G. Johnson

Using the tagline, “Automatics might be easy, but manuals have more fun,” the Anglo-Teutons (Anglotoots? Teutanglos? Tangelos? Tangelos!) at Mini either ardently support our Save the Manuals cause or they’ve just got a bunch of stick-equipped vehicles to unload. Either way, through August 31st, they’re offering 500 bucks off of any 2011 that isn’t a Countryman if you purchase the three-pedal version. Then again, if you’re considering a Mini and retain use of all four limbs, why wouldn’t you be buying one with a man-trans? Think of it as a reward for just for being you. Thanks, Tangelos!

Tags: Mini, Mini Cooper |

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When is a Zagato Not a Zagato? When it’s a Scagliarini

August 4, 2011 at 5:30pm by Davey G. Johnson

Tuesday, Scagliarini Motorsports (based in Colorado, because nothing says “Italia” like Boulder stoners and Durango ranch hands) offered up a concept drawing of a modified Fiat 500 Abarth mini-panel-van called the 504 Coupè Zagato Elaborata. Though Scagliarini claims the car draws influence from the Fiat 8v Elaborata by Zagato, the august adder-of-double-bubbles-to-all-things actually had nothing at all to do with Scagliarini’s drawing and wants that fact known. Zagato Communication Manager Alvise-Marco Seno fired off the following missive, suggesting legal action is underway:

Dear journalist/staff,

As concerns the “Abarth – Scagliarini – Zagato”, please find attached an official statement about our company.

Zagato neither had any official relationship with Scagliarini, nor was officially contacted by any member regarding this project.

This news (which is published everywhere) created a great embarrassment to us. So It will be extremely appreciated if you could give it maximum visibility.

“Zagato Intend to declare that there isn’t any involvement at all regarding the ‘Scagliarini 504 Coupé Zagato Elaborata’. The Milanese Atelier has been never approached by Scagliarini and neither contacts nor commercial initiatives took place at all. Due to the above reasons Zagato neither released any approval regarding this project and the Intellectual Property of the Fiat 500 Zagato, nor the use of the Zagato name and logo. In addition, no production tooling have been ever used to design the above Scagliarini. Zagato is taking all the needed legal actions for the purpose”.

We at Car and Driver are naturally nothing but kindly attentive, and—above all—kind. We’re not so sure about Scagliarini, though. The “About Us” on the company’s web page feels a little fast and loose with the context; only a careful reading makes it clear that Scagliarini has no affiliation with Fiat or Abarth.

In a statement released today via its Facebook page, Scagliarini counters—in part—“The hysteria that has been created by our elaboration of the FIAT 500 Coupe Zagato is not the type of exposure Scagliarini Motorsports seeks. As a show of our respect to a great man and the co-Founder of Abarth, effective immediately Scagliarini Motorsports has renamed its elaboration of the FIAT 500 Coupe Zagato to simply 504 Coupè Zagato Elaborata.”

We ask, how is that better? Nobody speaks Italian! Everybody here thinks “GTO” stands for “John Z. De Lorean” and wonders if Ferrari licensed it for the 599 along with the MagneRide shocks. Oh, Scagliarini, we’d like you better if you just stopped being all weird and shifty.

Tags: Abarth, Scagliarini Zagato |

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