Infiniti Coupe Concept At 2006 North American International Auto Show

[Picus]

Infiniti today unveiled a dramatic new concept vehicle, the Infiniti Coupe Concept, at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Infiniti also showed the new 2006 FX luxury crossover SUV, which has been refined with exterior and interior enhancements and greater differentiation between the V8-powered FX45 and V6-equipped FX35 models.

The Coupe Concept continues the Infiniti tradition of merging design and performance. It takes Infiniti’s vibrant design vocabulary, which has helped establish Infiniti as one of the most dynamic brands in the luxury market, and elevates it to the next level.

Among the Coupe Concept’s exterior design features are a full-length glass panel roof, modulated front fenders and hood, deep front spoiler and large projector headlights, polished bare metal-look paint, compact camera outside rearview mirrors, hidden door handles and large 20-inch, 9-spoke painted aluminum-alloy wheels.

The Coupe Concept interior combines a performance-inspired cockpit with a luxurious passengers’ space featuring a “double wave” instrument panel design, with large, violet-color gauge illumination and a dramatic, full-length center console. Specially textured aluminum accents project the image of traditional Japanese “Washi” paper, providing an added sense of warmth and crispness.

“The Infiniti Coupe Concept embraces the continuous advancement of Infiniti design with a unique combination of passion, imagination and creativity,” said Mark Igo, vice president and general manager, Infiniti.

Igo also provided an update on Infiniti business issues, including the fourth straight year of sales records. In 2005, Infiniti sold an all-time high of 136,401 units, an increase of 4.5 percent over calendar year 2004 sales.

“Infiniti sales have been strong across the entire model range,” said Igo. “We’re especially pleased with the acceptance in the marketplace of the all-new 2006 Infiniti M.”

Envisioning the next level of interior design, where all passengers will be provided with equal comfort, roominess and amenities, the Kuraza is marked by six doors – with the 3rd row doors on each side operating from rear hinges – and three rows of large, luxurious side-by-side pairs of individual seats. Kuraza also combines traditional Japanese design cues and extensive use of natural materials. For more information on the complete line of Infiniti luxury vehicles and the Total Ownership Experience (TOE) philosophy, visit Infiniti online at http://www.infiniti.com.








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Looks like evolutionary changes to the G35 coupe - new rockers, updated rear, headlight design, little longer, much better interior and rumored 3.7L V6 @340hp. I'd imagine the glass roof and rear deck lid with the funny spoiler as well as the hyper-futuristic interior will all be toned down for production, but judging by past Infiniti concepts it'll likely show up in production close to this.

Cheers.

[WSUcommuter]

Slick!

Wrong transmission and the drivers side is missing one pedal though

[SpoiledMan]

Looks like they're not going to mess around too much with success as this car is evolutionary(good thing in this case) and not revolutionary.

[White95Max]

MMMMMMMM I like!

I agree with WSU though.

[Neothin]

I would still prefer a G35 Coupe w/ the aero package. Not saying that it's a bad car, but I still prefer the current version. Also, the all glass roof may actually make it into production. My tC's roof is all glass, so you never know.

[SilverLexus]

It's pretty but is just like my neighbor's G35.

[Picus]

Well it is a G35. To quote (well, close anyway) the designer: "We weren't going for a total re-design, but a more evolutionary process where the styling of the [original coupe] was present. We know we have a good thing, so we don't want to change it too much." I agree with him - Infiniti reps have mentioned numerous times in the past few months that they want to start maintaining a brand image, ala BMW - so their cars will keep styling cues from previous versions.

Anyway like I said above I like it, though the rear is still a little too Lexus SC-esque in my opinion. RE: The glass roof - I think it may end up similar to the tC. As it stands the entire roof is literally glass. If I'm not mistaken in the tC it's broken up some by pillars?

Oh, and I agree on the tranny too. I think they want to show off their new paddle-shift SMG-style auto-tranny though, which is why there is a paddle on the steering wheel. The current 6MT in the G35 is a pretty slick tranny though, so I'd imagine we'll see a variant of it on the next G35.

[SpoiledMan]

Originally Posted by Picus

Well it is a G35. To quote (well, close anyway) the designer: "We weren't going for a total re-design, but a more evolutionary process where the styling of the [original coupe] was present. We know we have a good thing, so we don't want to change it too much." I agree with him - Infiniti reps have mentioned numerous times in the past few months that they want to start maintaining a brand image, ala BMW - so their cars will keep styling cues from previous versions.

I guess I nailed it eh?

[SilverLexus]

The rear of the car looks way different from a Lexus SC imho.

[Mikeyc]

I like the glass roof. I almost bought a G35 coupe when they came out. I think this update makes the car look even better. The new interior looks real sharp. I didn't like the old interior that much.

[SilverLexus]

Agreed - the glass roof and interior are a definite improvement.

[Mikeyc]

The more pronounced character line along the side also makes the car look less slab sided.