Infiniti dealers want an LS and S-Class rival

That sounds odd - go to the dealer to check those out, as Audi isn't known for bad brakes or long pedal travel - quite the opposite.

2008 S8? I thought it was an A6?

Either way, how are you liking it?

theyy should name the L63. luxury to compare to jag, mercedes, vw, possibly aston... in the sedan-coupe segment.

"That sounds odd - go to the dealer to check those out, as Audi isn't known for bad brakes or long pedal travel - quite the opposite."

Are you kidding? Audi is reknowned for perpetual warping of their brake rotors. That's probably the most important thing to check on any used Audi.

Styling is a huge factor. They really have to appeal to more people this time around to be successful.

I agree. They should come up with something really huge and powerful on the Rolls Royce Phantom scale, and sell it for Mercedes S-Class prices.

Minus the "really huge" part. That's unnecessary. Infiniti is known for agility.

No. The car must be really huge. It has to be physically imposing and give the same visual impact as a Phantom. If they make the car similar in size to the last Q45, IMO, it won't be far enough removed from the M45. Let the M45 be the large sporty sedan that the original Q45 was. This new car should be above and beyond anything Japan has made so far. It has to pop and have impact. Really huge is the way to go.

The Q45 is still sold in Japan as the cima/president.

The problem is they don't have the billions available to develop a world class car like the LS460.Infiniti is a minor league player.

Nissan/Renault is a huge company. If relatively small independent BMW can produce a 7 series, then an Infiniti rival could easily be developed.

i think the size of the company and producing a car in this class mean nothing at all OBVIOUSLY, its whether or not they can sell one and be profitable. VW obviously could produce the Phaeton but they couldnt sell it. Alot of those vehicles sell off prestige, and those buyers through reserach are very brand loyal. If it took Toyota from 89/90 to 2007 to develop the prestige to sell the LS at a price "close" to that of its German Rivals its not just one of those if we build it they will come things. The last Q was by no means an S class competitor more like an alternative to an E class or 5 series, and was priced the same as a top of the line M45. The Q with as far as it has come should have been alot better. It was nice but it just wasnt there with that class and no one wanted one..which can be seen in the resale values, and sales

Good luck, they better hire some talented designers first...

Infiniti needs a design to distance themselves from Nissan. I saw a Maxima, Altima, and M45 behind one another, making a left turn. Sharing the same f/m platform, the shilouettes look the same. Not trolling, but M35 and G35 look too similiar. Refering to wheelbase, a/b/c pillars, wheel arches, hood and trunk length.

Lexus also want a car to compete with the S Class.

Mercedes needs to compete with Lexus now. The LS600h has sold over 6000 units in 4 months, and BMW/Mercedes are scrambling to reap the field Lexus has sown.
Will the Empire strike back?
DrFill

They're not even producing 6,000 LS600's for the entire year. What the hell are you talking about?

Epic failure? I agree with most of your comments but sells or the LH600 are through the roof, it far from a failure.

You can fool some of the people most of the time.

there were some 6000 ORDERS for the ls600hl, altho' production of only 2000 was scheduled for the first year. obviously, the production had to be ramped up a whole lot more.

not sure how many of the 6000 orders have been FILLED to date. anyone know?

Lexus has been waiting for competition from Infinit for 15-20 years now.
Don't sing it.
Just bring it!
DrFill

Maybe the M should be the top of the line for Infiniti. Make the M at little more upscale from its current position, maybe the V8 model to have a lot more luxury (and price) than the V6 model.

This has been rumored for some time now, the current model in Japan is probably ending its model cycle as is. and a new one is slated to be out probably in 09-10. A larger V8 and diesel will show with a 7 speed automatic, While other markets will offer the V8, the Diesel and probably the 3.7 V6.

well if they are smart they wont focus their marketing on how BRIGHT THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE!!!.

But they were damn cool...imagine the same setup but with LED's this time around.

The old Q wasnt a bad car. I would love to see a new Q with a 5.6 liter unit making about 400 hp. Its gonna need to be bigger though. I'm thinking about the size of a BMW 750i. They don't need a stretched version. I think they need to work on their dash a bit too. Make it more elegant and to not use Nissan bin parts. I think they could probably make a strong case for this car if it was styled right and priced effectively.
T

Who needs a 5.6L V8 to make 400hp? I think Infiniti will do just fine with the current 4.5, which is already more than enough displacement for that power!

BMW and Audi use 4.0L and 4.2L, respectively... to make 420hp.

Well, they better hurry up before Hyundai keeps copying their designs and beats them to it.

Rosko, babe, don't playa-hate! Appreciate!
Mercedes will be riding the hybrid train soon enough, so get happy!
So what if the LS600h outsells the S600 easily.
Not a big deal, really!
DrFill

Mercedes will be making hybrid-DIESELS, which are far more advanced.

S4,

The Germans have had a hard time getting just a proper hybrid up and running.

Rosko,

All the hype surrounding BMWs being the "greatest vehicles on earth" is also the reason I am not particularly keen on buying one right now.

You seem to put more validity on the subjectivity of said magazines over everything else. It takes more than Car and Driver telling me that a BMW "just feels better than an Audi or a Lexus" for me to actually believe that.

Since you mention Hyundai Lexus finally getting some help kicking Benz and Bmw ass cause Acura and Infiniti are moving to slow

This was soo random!

I must tell you, that q45 is the worst crap ever....it drives like a town car, i remember i had to check the car over at the dealership b4 it goes out for sale.....man compare to an a8, its embrassing... how the leather material are like. it is like a freaking rebadge nissan....with new exteroir and new dash....lol

"like whoa dude lol crap b4 woot"

Shouldnt you be in gym class??

LOL, you make it embarrassing to be an Audi fan.

A new Q from infiniti could be interesting...id like to see what their flagship sedan offering would look like, but only if the design is totally revamped from the old body, and i mean TOTALLY...

but no matter what, it'll probly be a great drive, all current infiniti's hold the road well

The only things Infiniti does well it engines,great v-6 and styling,at least on the g-35 .

I feel sorry for Infiniti for slipping away on their Q45, they made that car uglier by the years and giving up on their top brand is a shame, so hopefully they'll come up with a great replacement soon so their Q would be revived back to life once again.

Well, just remember, the last time a Japanese luxury brand promised a new flagship, we got the Acura RL...I'm just sayin'...

I do agree that Infiniti needs some better designers before they can make it to the top tier. A lot of people seem to like their current designs (I happen not to be one of them), but the expectations are much higher in the S-class/7-series/A8/LS layer of vehicles.