I've heard about a new Q45 that will be on the ultra-luxury level. Anyone have any news on it? Can Infiniti keep pace with the new Lexus LS 460 and 460L. Nissan needs to do something fast, including lauch a much more aggressive marketing campaign.

 

IMO

Lexus = Pampering Luxury
Infiniti = Power

Frankly the current ls430 looks like an imitation benz, furthermore the LS460 looks like an imitation 5 series BMW.

Infiniti takes a back seat when it comes to interiors and pampering vs Lexus, but its got it's own unique style.

When it comes to power though, Infiniti owns. I'll take my power over the pampering anyday.

FWIW... the New Q is not going to be redesigned until 2007 or 8. The 2006 Sport model has rear active stear and the 19" m45 Rims

 

How do you like the Q45? I REALLY want that as my next car, but I'm trying to save for a place instead and I'm only at around 95K on my I30 right now. It seems like they're creeping close towards 20K every day......

 

This should be in the Other Cars section....

 

Our community is so small that I dont think it really matters anyway.

I love the looks of both the current LS430 and the Q45, but really am not impressed with the design direction that Lexus is going.

Lexus makes some great cars, but Ill be sticking with Infiniti for the foreseeable future. I've just got to get myself an M45 sport.

 

I love the new Q
That thing runs beautiful and the power of that V8 is always there waiting to be opened up. The only thing that the LS has over the Q IMHO is that it retains it's resale value better than the Q.

 

True, but to me that's a good thing since I'm looking to buy one used.

 

Yea, I can see that point of view, but when you get ready to sell it or trade it in, that works against you. I love the car, but it depreciates to fast.

 

It all depends on who you are. Some of us buy a car, maintain it well, and drive it until every possible mile is squeezed out of it, so resale isn't really an issue. If it wasn't for the idiot who rear ended me two weeks ago, I was going to take my max to 300,000 miles! Made it to 220,000...

 

I don't disagree. I'm just not sure if that's enough though for Infiniti to pull some of those other buyers to the side we're on. Too, if we look at the new IS 350 as an indication Lexus is slowly trying to creep up there with the HP.

When I look at the I35 vs. the ES 300 I can't help but wonder what is wrong with the overall picture when the one that is clearly much better overall is the one that's no longer produced - same thing with the J30. As good as it is there’s no reason for the I35 to be on the shelf if the ES300 is still out there IMO.

 

They do depreciate fast. But the one plus would be that you'll always find an Infiniti buff that would pay you a good price for it b/c he understands what it's really worth. So you can't go wrong. But no matter what car you trade-in you will never get anywhere near the true value for it.

 

the LS460 comes with 380 horse 370 tork and a 8 speed tranny LOL wondering how much faster would it be compare to the q45.

 

What's the weight???

If the LS460L is really heavy, then that 380HP won't go too far. The Q45 moves pretty well now, and that's got something like 340HP, correct? As for the 8-speed, I'm skeptical of that becase with all of the additional mechanical parts it is likely to be less efficient, more maintenance intensive, and less reliable than a more conventional 4AT or 5AT.

IMO, an 8AT is stupid. At that point it would be better to go for a CVT.

 

You still on the org? Still ripping ppl off?

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....56#post2418556

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=256940

 

Damn. I totally missed this. That's messed up.

 

This was extracted from the links.

Thankfully, it looks like bobjohnson and Max4Speed got their money back from Gates. I never knew this about Gates. I will definately stay the hell away from him in the future. Internet fraud is illegal and fucced up. If people would only do business the right way, we would not have any of these fucc ups!!

 

wait 8speed... liek 12345678..? what the cluck...

 

What's so stupid about it?? The BMW 7 series and the Benz S class and even some E class use a 7 speed transmission.

 

There comes a point where adding additional gear ratios isn't going to be worth the time, money, and design effort when compared to building a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). A CVT has a wide range of infinitesmally variable ratios, so it can always select the ratio for maximum power and efficiency. An automatic transmission with 8 speeds is great, but how does it compare to a CVT? Which will be more reliable? Which will be more maintenance intensive? Which will cause the smallest power loss? Which will be lightest? Which will be the lest expensive to manufacture?

Have you thought about how many planetary gearsets are required for an 8-speed transmission? How many sets of clutches and bands? How to fit all of those moving parts into a transmission casing under the car? How much power might be lost to all of those moving gears? How much it would cost to replace or rebuild such a transmission?

I don't know the answers to these questions, I wasn't in the design suites at Toyota and Nissan when they designed their transmissions. I just see automatic transmissions as being a case of diminishing returns. For every ratio you add, the cost (monetary and otherwise) increases against the returned benefit.

On the other hand - what if Nissan builds a CVT to mate with the VK45DE in the next generation Q?

 

I think that because of the way a CVT is constructed, it cannot handle a lot of power without failing. That's probably why they went with a "conventional" type transmission.

 

Not to mention CVT is