The annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California has been turning into a launch-platform for high-end vehicles in recent years and this time around, Infiniti chose the famous event to launch the next-generation of its mid-level M sedan. But with just one catch: the car wasn't actually at Pebble Beach.
Because a show car wasn't ready in time but the show had to go on, the technophiles at the Japanese luxury brand came up with an ingenious and high-tech solution that enabled a "virtual launch," if you will, that may well end up being more fascinating than the car itself. A video image of the M will be projected onto a foam model, creating a 3-D virtual replica that, when paired with a moving background, will even look like its moving thanks animated projected wheels. Executive Editor Matt Stone, who is in attendance at this virtual launch, will have more on the festivities later.
As for the car itself, it sports sleek sheetmetal derived from the Essence concept and bears a resemblance to the FX crossover. Two variants will be offered, the M37, powered by a 3.7-liter V-6, and the M56, which will be powered by a 5.6-liter V-8, the latter making over 400 horsepower. In more fuel-conscious Europe, the V-8's place will be taken by a performance-oriented diesel V-6. Additionally, the 2011 M will be offered with a new blind spot intervention system, which will help a driver make evasive maneuvers if it detects a vehicle in the next lane during a lane change.
The real car will make its debut later this year at an unspecified auto show before going on sale in the spring of 2010.
Thanks to: Motor Trend