Auto blog

Race Recap: Singapore Grand Prix is about a safety car and submission

The Singapore Formula One Grand Prix is the Monaco GP of the Orient - a weekend known more for its glamour and time-slot than on-track action, with a temporary circuit that punishes every mistake, usually terminally.
Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas got the best of Free Practice 1, opening the curtain on a possible resurgence of Silver Arrows performance. By the time qualifying was done, though, it was his teammate Nico Rosberg who lined up second on the grid, followed by Romain Grosjean with a beautiful performance in the Lotus, Mark Webber in the Infiniti Red Bull, and Hamilton all the way back in fifth. Behind them were Felipe Massa outqualifying Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button getting the McLaren into eighth, Daniel Ricciardo with another good Q3 effort to get into ninth, and the shocker of Esteban Gutiérrez getting his Sauber into the top ten for the first time this year.
At the front of the pack was Sebastian Vettel. Again. But he was only ahead of Rosberg by a single tenth of a second...

2014 Infiniti Q50 priced from $36,450*

With the 2014 Infiniti Q50 going on sale this summer, Infiniti has finally released pricing for its all-new and newly named sedan. In base form, the Q50 will start at $36,450 (*including $905 for destination and handling), which represents a drop of $900 compared to the current G37 Sedan.
In standard form, the Q50 is available in base, Premium and Sport trim levels with each offering the option of all-wheel drive for an additional $1,800. All gas-only Q50s come with the automaker's excellent 3.7-liter V6 engine, but stepping over to the Q50 Hybrid gets you a smaller 3.5-liter V6 paired with an electric motor. The Q50 Hybrid, which is available in Premium and Sport trim levels only, will begin at $43,700 for a rear-wheel-drive Sport model.
Potential buyers who preorder and ultimately purchase a Q50 during the unspecified "program period" will also get a free iPad mini. Scroll down for the official press release breaking down all trim levels and price points.

Infiniti bringing Q50 Eau Rouge to Geneva, now with engine [w/video]

During last month's Detroit Auto Show, Infiniti rolled out the lustrous Q50 Moulin Eau Rouge concept - a preview of what could be a solid performance offering from Nissan's luxury arm. Problem is, the car shown in Detroit was all show and no go - literally.
Infiniti was keen to talk about how the Eau Rouge would feature "a big personality, V-cylinder engine with forced induction" with "over 500 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque," but the showcar had no such powerplant underhood. In fact, it didn't have any powerplant under the hood at all. That'll change next month, however, as Infiniti has now confirmed that it will bring the Q50 Eau Rouge to the Geneva Motor Show in March, complete with the promised "big personality" engine.
"Our engineers have perfectly captured the tone of Infiniti's take on premium performance, and a car that is as impressive as the Q50 Eau Rouge sounds is surely a car to challenge performance cars in the premium sector," said Infiniti's President, Johan de Nysschen. Regarding that sound: he ain't foolin' - the automaker has released a teaser video that gives us our first listen at what the Q50 Eau Rouge will sound like once its powerplant is nestled underhood. Scroll down to give it a watch - err, listen - and have a look beyond that for the company's official press blast.