New Infiniti M makes virtual debut at Pebble Beach
Nissan's premium offshoot reveals its all-new Mercedes E-Class/BMW 5 Series challengerInfiniti's all-new M sedan -- pitched as an alternative to the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 -- made its debut over the weekend at the 59th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California.
The 2011 Infiniti M, which is scheduled to go on sale across the world starting from April 2010, was revealed through a unique video mapping process, in which a 'virtual M' was created on a 3D form.
Infiniti claims it's the world's first 'virtual only' (no physical vehicle) automotive application of this cutting-edge technology. The genuine article will make its public debut later this year (most likely at the Frankfurt motor show).
The new model is the third generation of Infiniti's M flagship and the first to be sold across all of Infiniti's 32 markets around the world, including Western Europe.
Will it come to Oz? There's every possibility it'll land here in due course, as the company's local arm has said the premium brand will be on the menu once the economy stabilises.
As per the existing M, which this correspondent has sampled in the Middle East, the next-gen model will be offered with V6 and V8 power, but the latter is a 5.6-litre unit (rather than the existing model's 4.5-litre donk).
The V6 is a 3.7-litre unit and is all but identical to the engine that powers the Nissan 370Z.
Reflecting their more powerful, larger displacement engines, the 2011 M models will be designated the Infiniti M56 and Infiniti M37 respectively.
The newcomer debuts more curvaceous styling than its predecessor, and its aggressive nose and deeply sculpted wings are clearly inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept car.
The company boasts of "the use of innovative materials, an advanced climate control system, superior audio and an enhanced quality feel", and the car debuts a Side-Collision Prevention (SCP) system that's claimed to be an industry-first.
The SCP system is designed to alert the driver if another vehicle is detected during an intended lane change and help prevent a potential collision by moving the vehicle toward the centre of the original lane of travel.
Despite improved performance from the new engine line-up, Infiniti claims fuel consumption will be reduced across the range.
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