The Infiniti FX has always been a bit of a wild child in the premium crossover segment. It has a polarizing exterior style, and it’s capable of reaching illegal speeds rather quickly. Infiniti has partnered up with Formula One racer Sebastian Vettel to make it even more extreme, and the result is the (rather blandly named) Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version.

What does it take for a F1 star to apply his moniker to anything other than a sports car? Money. Serious upgrades to the overall performance of the vehicle. Vettel worked with Infiniti engineers to transform the FX50 into a lower, sleeker machine. The vehicle sits 20 millimeters lower and wears aero bits that help improve its coefficient of drag by 30 percent.

Those changes are rather welcome because Vettel wanted the FX bearing his name to hit a pretty impressive speed target. The goal was 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), and this Infiniti FX Vettel Version is capable of achieving that mark.

Engineers were able to squeeze an additional 30 horsepower out of the 5.0-liter V8, bringing total output up to 414 horses. This was done by way of a new exhaust system and reflashing the the engine’s computer. Still, 186 mph is a tough task for a bulky vehicle like the FX, so taller gearing was called for. Despite this, Infiniti says the Vettel FX manages to run from 0-60 miles per hour quicker than the standard FX50.

For the moment, the special FX is considered a concept car, though the rumormill has suggested for some time that Infiniti is working toward premium performance models with their cohorts from Red Bull Racing, so a production derivative isn’t entirely out of the question. Read more about the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version by checking out the full press release posted after the jump.

Continue reading Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version unveiled by… Sebastian Vettel

Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version unveiled by… Sebastian Vettel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

Hyundai is almost ready to sell you a 2012 Azera. Before it does that, however, it needs your help. The Korean automaker has posted a link that leads you to a configurator for the 2012 Azera, and there is a survey posted at the end. The configurator will give you a good idea of how much the Azera will end up costing, as well as what color choices will be made available.

We built our own 2012 Azera, and think it looks mighty fine in Smoke Gray Metallic with a Graphite Black leather interior. Checking the box for the Premium Package, our prototype Azera would cost us around ,000.

Check out the configurator for yourself by clicking here, and be sure to answer the survey at the end. Maybe your decisions will help dictate what type of car we see when the Azera is revealed at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Help Hyundai build the 2012 Azera by… building a 2012 Azera originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

The man pictured above is Phil Ward. He is a former pro Touring Car driver who was inspired by the American Legends and started the Aussie Racing Cars series. These are scaled-down imitations of popular racecars found in the V8 Supercars series, powered by turbocharged 1.2-liter twin-cam Yamaha motors. That mill is paired with a sequential manual transmission, and the entire concept seems like it would equal about as much fun as you can have with 125 horsepower.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Before the start of a recent race in Queensland, Ward apparently wasn’t happy with the track conditions. Rather than sit and wait for officials to do something about it, Ward ran his Aussie Racing Car to the front of the grid, hopped out and told officials to delay the start. We guess if you own the series, you can do things like that.

Still, the delayed start nearly caused serious issues for those drivers finishing their warm-up laps. Click past the jump to see Ward delay the race, and the resulting (almost) carnage. Also, pay close attention towards the end of the video to get an idea of the scale of cars being raced. Either they are that tiny, or the Porsche Panamera pace car is enormous. (Okay, so maybe it’s a bit of both…)

Continue reading Aussie racer objects to track conditions by… taking over?

Aussie racer objects to track conditions by… taking over? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.