joshua05

]


Infiniti— Nissan’s luxury division — is pitching the M as a direct rival to theBMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class but won’t release any pricinginformation until nearer to the car’s launch.

Like the other carsin the Infiniti range, the M is based on the company’s rear-drive FM(front-midship) platform, which places the engine behind the line ofthe front axle. The car uses double wishbone suspension at the frontand a multi-link rear axle and it has speed-sensitive power steering.

TheM’s styling was previewed at the Geneva show earlier this year and hasvery low aerodynamic drag, with a Cd rating of 0.27. Although thestructure is a steel monocoque, the doors, bonnet and bootlid are madeof aluminium.


Infiniti designers have made huge efforts withthe quality of materials in the interior and have even used universityresearchers to engineer new soft-feel plastics technology. Infinitialso says the 2.9m-long wheelbase is longer than most rivals’ to helpensure “plenty of room for five adults”.

The first model to go onsale will be the M37. It is powered by a 3.7-litre V6 petrol enginethat is good for 316bhp and 266lb ft. All M models get a seven-speedautomatic and steering wheel paddles. The engine and transmissionresponse can be set by driver to Standard, Eco, Sport and Snow modes.

High-endfeatures available on the M include Blind Spot Intervention (which canautomatically steer the car away from danger), Active Noise Control(which cancels out low-frequency engine noise), Forest Air climatecontrol (which uses pulsated air and fragrances to help relaxpassengers) and Dynamic Cornering Assistance (which uses subtleindividual brake control to reduce steering effort during tightmanoeuvres).

Active four-wheel steering will also be an option on certain M models.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/Ne ... ti-M-Series/245480/