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Automotive Discussion Thread | OT2 | Zero to pointless fighting faster than a GT86

matmanx1

Member
Early from Detroit, the Buick Avista concept:

sldvfrvkzfykmkydfhyf.jpg


wkkumhepa1jmwymtuelh.jpg


Based on the Alpha platform with a TTV6.

This is like a Camaro crossed with a Jag. And I dig it. Make it happen, GM!
 

TylerD

Member
Love the German reliability and maintenance discussion the past page or so. Still continuing to be blessed by having my engine die in flood water in Sept 2014 and the retreading of past repairs on my 330ci ZHP's "new" engine that I had already done on the old one. Up next is the thermostat (failed Friday) and while I am in there, going to do the water pump yet again. Wheeee!!!!!
 
I can't speak for the US, but in the UK Jaguar offer a 3 year warranty with new cars, same as BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The extended warranties they sell, as far as I know only extend by 12 months at a time, for 25,000 miles at a time, it's a similar thing with Mercedes and BMW. Audi offer extended warranties up to 4 and 5 years.

If you're talking about maintenance and service packs, in the UK, Jaguar offer two petrol options, 3yr/30k miles and 3yr/48k miles, as well as two diesel options, 5yrs/50k miles and 5yrs/75k miles. BMW offers one option for both petrol and diesel cars, of 5yrs/50k miles, same as Audi. Mercedes offers some random option which allows for a total number of 4 services over 4 years.

If there's a big discrepancy between the UK and US options and warranties, it's likely the US options are better simply to try and incentivise sales, as oppose to just being statements of reliability. I can imagine companies like BMW, Mercedes etc sell far more cars in the US compared to Jaguar, so it would make sense from a business perspective.

BMW's warranty is unchanged here which is still 4 years/50k I believe. Only the maintenance schedule is changing which is shitty but not a cause of concern for anyone who thinks their car will have serious issues before 50k since that would still be covered by warranty.

h4a0wwixagwzorqkqdc7.jpg


Also why did Lexus put their lackluster RC-F V8 in this thing instead of a turbo V8? This thing looks great but that seems underpowered for 100k.
 
My brother's 4Runner has some parasitic battery drain I feel.

I need to spend this weekend checking fuses and voltages. Gonna get a new battery tonight and a kill switch in the meantime. I bet as a teen he'll think the kill switch is cool in a mad max sort of way.
 

FStop7

Banned
BMW's warranty is unchanged here which is still 4 years/50k I believe. Only the maintenance schedule is changing which is shitty but not a cause of concern for anyone who thinks their car will have serious issues before 50k since that would still be covered by warranty.

h4a0wwixagwzorqkqdc7.jpg


Also why did Lexus put their lackluster RC-F V8 in this thing instead of a turbo V8? This thing looks great but that seems underpowered for 100k.

ResidentSleeper

Boring car for boring middle management people
 

matmanx1

Member
Love the German reliability and maintenance discussion the past page or so. Still continuing to be blessed by having my engine die in flood water in Sept 2014 and the retreading of past repairs on my 330ci ZHP's "new" engine that I had already done on the old one. Up next is the thermostat (failed Friday) and while I am in there, going to do the water pump yet again. Wheeee!!!!!

I feel your pain, man, I really do. I love the way my car looks and drives but I am really disappointed in the number of things that I have already had to fix in just one year of ownership.

So the question then becomes, at what point do you throw in the towel? Where do you draw the line and say "that's enough, I'm not paying any more to have this car fixed. It has to go!" It's a question that I am asking myself a couple of times a day at this point.

Seriously. Any advice is appreciated.

Right now I am thinking that after I get this thermostat replaced that my car will be on "probation". If I have any more unscheduled repairs this calendar year then I will be looking to get rid of it. I need a reliable daily driver that doesn't drain my car savings account and cost me days because my car is in the shop.



That kink in the window is giving me fits. It disagrees with my brain and there's nothing I can do.

Urk! Wish you hadn't pointed that out to me. Now my eye goes there automatically and I can't unsee it!
 

TylerD

Member
I feel your pain, man, I really do. I love the way my car looks and drives but I am really disappointed in the number of things that I have already had to fix in just one year of ownership.

So the question then becomes, at what point do you throw in the towel? Where do you draw the line and say "that's enough, I'm not paying any more to have this car fixed. It has to go!" It's a question that I am asking myself a couple of times a day at this point.

Seriously. Any advice is appreciated.

Right now I am thinking that after I get this thermostat replaced that my car will be on "probation". If I have any more unscheduled repairs this calendar year then I will be looking to get rid of it. I need a reliable daily driver that doesn't drain my car savings account and cost me days because my car is in the shop.


Urk! Wish you hadn't pointed that out to me. Now my eye goes there automatically and I can't unsee it!

I'm not sure either but since mine is a 06 E46 (05 engine) there are DIY guides with pretty much any job and I have done and mostly enjoyed 90% of the work which has helped to keep my costs down. I think my breaking point would be 3-4k for a couple of years with parts and labor. I have decided that this is the newest BMW or German car I would own outside of a CPO warranty. I can change my battery all by myself without a dealer! LOL.

My commute is a 3 minute walk and I have access to a company vehicle pretty much any time I need it. The driving experience and involvement makes this a hard car to give up. I love the driving dynamics and think the ZHP is such a nice package of gentle performance enhancements and appearance so I'd like to hold on to it for quite a few years. It only has 88k miles and it should have a lot of life yet to give.

More realistically, I have a very serious girlfriend now and we have two dogs. She has a 07 Camry with 130k miles that we have been using for road trips. I'll probably be finding a gently used Mazda CX-5 with AWD in the next couple of years.


I also think the Q60 rear window kink is odd. Distinctive, but odd. The rest looks great.
 

negitoro7

Member
Did a test picture photoshoot of the summer wheels that just came in, and not crazy about the combo. Gonna switch with someone locally for his bronze ones in the same size. He has a White Golf R, we'll both be happy.

w4d7GLi.jpg
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack

Weird. I swear I made a post about it and laughed at how stuck Lexus is on using an old and outdated motor, pairing it to a 10-speed transmission. I know I posted it, but I can't find it. Wtf.

Anyway, a 10-speed is just insane and stupid. Lexus is throwing extra gearing to fix this motor's lack of torque. Why would you put a high-revving V8 into an ultra-luxury $100K barge? It makes no sense. This thing is going to get panned dynamically and cars like the S Class Coupe won't even break a sweat. That, and the rear end is hideous.

gorgeous....whats the projected price on this thing?

300HP TT model should start around $40K. 400HP TT will start around $45-47K. Both motors are identical, just one has more boost and increased cooling (twin intercoolers). Options like dual screen interior, xenons, LEDs, 19" sport wheels, keyless entry, etc will be standard. There will a standard Bose system and an optional one. And navigation is optional, as well. Backup camera should be standard, like it is on almost all Infinitis today.
 
2017-infiniti-q60-002-1.jpg


Ooooooof. Give it to me.

Somewhere along the line I completely tuned out regarding Infiniti's lineup and I've never been able to pick it back up with the dumb naming scheme. Is this a new generation of the Skyline/G35/G37? Q what? How many generations of the Skyline (is it even still a Skyline in Japan?) have been out as Q cars?
 

SliChillax

Member
Weird. I swear I made a post about it and laughed at how stuck Lexus is on using an old and outdated motor, pairing it to a 10-speed transmission. I know I posted it, but I can't find it. Wtf.

Anyway, a 10-speed is just insane and stupid. Lexus is throwing extra gearing to fix this motor's lack of torque. Why would you put a high-revving V8 into an ultra-luxury $100K barge? It makes no sense. This thing is going to get panned dynamically and cars like the S Class Coupe won't even break a sweat. That, and the rear end is hideous.

Well considering the name LC 500, it's not the flagship version. There will probably be an LC-F with turbos.

Probably means boring in terms of performance, especially compared to similarly priced enthusiast cars.

Yeah totally dull in that regard.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Somewhere along the line I completely tuned out regarding Infiniti's lineup and I've never been able to pick it back up with the dumb naming scheme. Is this a new generation of the Skyline/G35/G37? Q what? How many generations of the Skyline (is it even still a Skyline in Japan?) have been out as Q cars?

It's not a dumb naming scheme at all. Why is it so difficult for people to grasp:

Q = car
QX = Crossover (Cross = X)

The entire basis behind the rename is because Infiniti owns the rights to the letter Q with automobiles. And research shows numbers are much easier for people to remember than meaningless letters such as G, FX, QX, JX, M. Furthermore, with displacement shrinking considerably for forced induction, you can't go from having your car called a G37 to a G30. Or from M56 to M30 (especially since M30 also represented a pretty dark period for the Infiniti brand). It just sounds like a downgrade. Currently Nissan is struggling with what to name the upcoming Z. It might, for the first time ever, not have a name designating displacement. It may end up the 400Z, designating horsepower.

So you do what logic dictates. Keep a consistent letter (Q), add an X if it's a crossover. Add numbers that denote the vehicle's placement in a lineup.

I don't understand why Infiniti gets so much crap for something that Audi has been doing for 15+ years now, orchestrated by the same former executive too, might I add.

So let me break it down for you:

Q50 (replaced the G-Sedan)
Q60 Coupe (replaced the G-Coupe)
Q70 (replaced the M-Sedan)

QX30 (All new compact SUV)
QX50 (Replaced the EX)
QX60 (Replaced the JX minivan)
QX70 (Replaced the FX)
QX80 (Replaced the QX56)

Well considering the name LC 500, it's not the flagship version. There will probably be an LC-F with turbos.

It's still a flagship car, doesn't matter where it rings on the ladder as a model or submodel. It's still the wrong motor for this type of car. The only worthy savior is if Lexus tries to go Aston Martin with this car and add some personality to it. But somehow I doubt it.
 

Bandit1

Member
Here's the 2017 Lincoln Continental:

m8r81uburfpr2ndmgkov.jpg


kvwtok1syqcqwolhgbtq.jpg


blsk8gmp7vc6wsvcqamx.jpg


I find it seriously lacking in the number of suicide doors, other than that it looks good.
 

matmanx1

Member
It's not a dumb naming scheme at all. Why is it so difficult for people to grasp:

Q = car
QX = Crossover (Cross = X)

The entire basis behind the rename is because Infiniti owns the rights to the letter Q with automobiles. And research shows numbers are much easier for people to remember than meaningless letters such as G, FX, QX, JX, M. Furthermore, with displacement shrinking considerably for forced induction, you can't go from having your car called a G37 to a G30. Or from M56 to M30 (especially since M30 also represented a pretty dark period for the Infiniti brand). It just sounds like a downgrade. Currently Nissan is struggling with what to name the upcoming Z. It might, for the first time ever, not have a name designating displacement. It may end up the 400Z, designating horsepower.

So you do what logic dictates. Keep a consistent letter (Q), add an X if it's a crossover. Add numbers that denote the vehicle's placement in a lineup.

I don't understand why Infiniti gets so much crap for something that Audi has been doing for 15+ years now, orchestrated by the same former executive too, might I add.

So let me break it down for you:

Q50 (replaced the G-Sedan)
Q60 Coupe (replaced the G-Coupe)
Q70 (replaced the M-Sedan)

QX30 (All new compact SUV)
QX50 (Replaced the EX)
QX60 (Replaced the JX minivan)
QX70 (Replaced the FX)
QX80 (Replaced the QX56)



It's still a flagship car, doesn't matter where it rings on the ladder as a model or submodel. It's still the wrong motor for this type of car. The only worthy savior is if Lexus tries to go Aston Martin with this car and add some personality to it. But somehow I doubt it.

Know what I think? And this is purely my opinion so it could be completely wrong, but I think the letter "Q" is lame. It's forgettable. It's not used for anything else that is even remotely interesting (well, apart from James Bond's gadget guy) and its association with Infiniti isn't doing them any favors.

Psychologically, certain letters (and symbols) have positive associations, and Q isn't one of those letters. At least not yet. Maybe in the future Infiniti will have done such a good job with the "Q" line that they will have elevated the whole letter but for now, "Q" as a car name is not memorable or special. And that's one of the reasons that people have problems wrapping their heads around the naming scheme.

*Once again this is an opinion post and not meant to bash Infiniti (because I tend to like their cars!) but as a possible explanation for confusion over Infiniti's naming scheme!*
 

SummitAve

Banned
It'a not just Infiniti, quite a few makers use a single letter that has nothing to do with their name followed by an arbitrary number. It's like when I'm ordering Chinese food off a big menu and I'm too scared to just give the menu code that corresponds to what I want because I'm worried it's not descriptive enough or that they will hear it wrong.....It's also soulless. Mmmm can't wait to eat the Q50!
 

mkenyon

Banned
It's not a dumb naming scheme at all. Why is it so difficult for people to grasp:

Q = car
QX = Crossover (Cross = X)
Wrong.

There's the QX30 S which is the car version of the QX30.

It was originally supposed to be the Q30, but they decided to keep both as QX instead.
 
I don't understand why Infiniti gets so much crap for something that Audi has been doing for 15+ years now, orchestrated by the same former executive too, might I add.

Audi had the sense to do this during their comeback and (mostly) waited for new models or redesigns to apply the A/S/Q letter designations. Infiniti started slapping the alphanumerics onto cars mid-cycle and have changed their mind on the 30 even after they started to take the Q/QX differentiator public.

Also: perhaps picking the same letter Audi uses for their crossovers wasn't the best idea.
 

Bandit1

Member
Speaking of the doors, those doorhandles! What the hell is going on there? Don't like it at all.

Certainly different, kind of integrated into the window trim and they don't move -

fqw1liuslorcz94znbys.jpg


po8zlttott6uxx34cxp9.jpg




Also just realized that it's front-wheel drive :/
Why was I thinking this would be rear wheel drive? Just me being old-fashioned I guess.


Edit: that Infiniti Q60 looks really, really good. The more I look at it the more I like it.
 
It's not a dumb naming scheme at all. Why is it so difficult for people to grasp:

Q = car
QX = Crossover (Cross = X)

With ya so far. I knew this.

The entire basis behind the rename is because Infiniti owns the rights to the letter Q with automobiles.

...ok? How is having the rights to Q actually helpful though? If they add a Q in front of every single model they have, then "Q" itself has absolutely no significance. The letter Q does not differentiate between any Inifiniti models. It's a waste of a letter. "Inifiniti Q" carries exactly the same amount of information as "Infiniti." You have to keep going to the X or the numerals before you actually get to any descriptive information about the car. Contrast that to Audi, where the first A/S/R/Q immediately provides information, or BMW with the first M/1/2/3/4/5/6/7 providing information. I'm trying but can't really think of any other automaker that has a useless first alphanumeric like that in all of their model names. I guess Lincoln with M? Following Lincoln's lead on naming models seems like a horrible idea.

This might not seem like all that big a deal buut...

And research shows numbers are much easier for people to remember than meaningless letters such as G, FX, QX, JX, M.

If we're talking about the importance of the difference between a number and a letter then we're already examining this at a small scale, so small differneces are important. People naturally pay the most attention to the first and last parts of a word, a sentence, a speech. Attention drifts off in the middle. (which is why most people are probably drifting off around here in my post and maybe didn't even notice the typo earlier.) And yet for every single Inifiniti model the first and last character are always "Q" and "0," respectively. All of the important information is in the middle, where it gets lost.

Also. if numbers are more memorable than letters, why are they hiding the important memorable numbers behind a meaningless Q? A secondary numeral seems to indicate that the different numbers serve to subdivide the prior piece of information. This is fine for BMW, where the numerals come after the brand. "3" "5" and "7" are subdivisions of "BMW." So "50" "60" and "70" are subdivisions of "Q." But "Q" isn't the brand, "Infiniti" is. "Q," separated by a space from "Infiniti," is part of the model name. Or at least that's the way it works for every other manufacturer out there. So, looking at an Infiniti, using the normal logical deduction that works for every single manufacturer, the "50" "60" and "70" should not be subdividing the brand, but the model. In other words, Q50 and Q70 seem like different trim levels of the same model. Not completely different models. And this is further confused by the Q50 and Q60 actually being coupe and sedan versions of the same model. Only the Q70 is a different model on a different platform (right? based on your description below).

Furthermore, with displacement shrinking considerably for forced induction, you can't go from having your car called a G37 to a G30. Or from M56 to M30 (especially since M30 also represented a pretty dark period for the Infiniti brand). It just sounds like a downgrade. Currently Nissan is struggling with what to name the upcoming Z. It might, for the first time ever, not have a name designating displacement. It may end up the 400Z, designating horsepower.

I get that this is a problem, it's just that Infiniti's solution of "well we have a trademark on Q let's slap it on everything" was a shitty solution. And it's going to continue to contribute to me not being able to keep their lineup straight, even after hearing your breakdown.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Know what I think? And this is purely my opinion so it could be completely wrong, but I think the letter "Q" is lame. It's forgettable. It's not used for anything else that is even remotely interesting (well, apart from James Bond's gadget guy) and its association with Infiniti isn't doing them any favors.

Psychologically, certain letters (and symbols) have positive associations, and Q isn't one of those letters. At least not yet. Maybe in the future Infiniti will have done such a good job with the "Q" line that they will have elevated the whole letter but for now, "Q" as a car name is not memorable or special. And that's one of the reasons that people have problems wrapping their heads around the naming scheme.

*Once again this is an opinion post and not meant to bash Infiniti (because I tend to like their cars!) but as a possible explanation for confusion over Infiniti's naming scheme!*

It actually IS doing them favors. Infiniti had a record year in sales, and not showing signs of slowing down. Also, Q is the ONLY letter they could've chosen without infringement. Didn't I just explain that? They literally own the rights to use it for cars.

Wrong.

There's the QX30 S which is the car version of the QX30.


It was originally supposed to be the Q30, but they decided to keep both as QX instead.

Actually, no. You're wrong. The 'former' Q30 was never a "car" version. The Q30 and QX30 were literally two identical cars; both elevated mini-crossovers one that is FWD and the other AWD. Identical to the Mercedes GLA (which is also FWD and AWD), the very same chassis that underpins the Infiniti.

Infiniti corporate just wanted to fill in a gap by calling the FWD car a Q30. But the dealer network ripped them apart because they are identical and forced them to change the name to just QX30 for both FWD and AWD models, so there will be a base QX30, QX30 Sport, and QX30 AWD.

There will be a separate Q30 arriving years later as an actual sedan, based on the CLA, obviously to fill in the gap properly.

Audi had the sense to do this during their comeback and (mostly) waited for new models or redesigns to apply the A/S/Q letter designations. Infiniti started slapping the alphanumerics onto cars mid-cycle and have changed their mind on the 30 even after they started to take the Q/QX differentiator public.

Also: perhaps picking the same letter Audi uses for their crossovers wasn't the best idea.

Infiniti's been using Q since waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before Audi. It's their letter. They literally own the rights to it. Their cars and SUVs both used it back in the 90s.

Regarding the QX30, see above.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
With ya so far. I knew this.



...ok? How is having the rights to Q actually helpful though? If they add a Q in front of every single model they have, then "Q" itself has absolutely no significance. The letter Q does not differentiate between any Inifiniti models. It's a waste of a letter. "Inifiniti Q" carries exactly the same amount of information as "Infiniti." You have to keep going to the X or the numerals before you actually get to any descriptive information about the car. Contrast that to Audi, where the first A/S/R/Q immediately provides information, or BMW with the first M/1/2/3/4/5/6/7 providing information. I'm trying but can't really think of any other automaker that has a useless first alphanumeric like that in all of their model names. I guess Lincoln with M? Following Lincoln's lead on naming models seems like a horrible idea.

This might not seem like all that big a deal buut...



If we're talking about the importance of the difference between a number and a letter then we're already examining this at a small scale, so small differneces are important. People naturally pay the most attention to the first and last parts of a word, a sentence, a speech. Attention drifts off in the middle. (which is why most people are probably drifting off around here in my post and maybe didn't even notice the typo earlier.) And yet for every single Inifiniti model the first and last character are always "Q" and "0," respectively. All of the important information is in the middle, where it gets lost.

Also. if numbers are more memorable than letters, why are they hiding the important memorable numbers behind a meaningless Q? A secondary numeral seems to indicate that the different numbers serve to subdivide the prior piece of information. This is fine for BMW, where the numerals come after the brand. "3" "5" and "7" are subdivisions of "BMW." So "50" "60" and "70" are subdivisions of "Q." But "Q" isn't the brand, "Infiniti" is. "Q," separated by a space from "Infiniti," is part of the model name. Or at least that's the way it works for every other manufacturer out there. So, looking at an Infiniti, using the normal logical deduction that works for every single manufacturer, the "50" "60" and "70" should not be subdividing the brand, but the model. In other words, Q50 and Q70 seem like different trim levels of the same model. Not completely different models. And this is further confused by the Q50 and Q60 actually being coupe and sedan versions of the same model. Only the Q70 is a different model on a different platform (right? based on your description below).



I get that this is a problem, it's just that Infiniti's solution of "well we have a trademark on Q let's slap it on everything" was a shitty solution. And it's going to continue to contribute to me not being able to keep their lineup straight, even after hearing your breakdown.

This is much of the same thing every one says. Why Q? What does Q mean? Why is it important. But nobody offers their own fix. How would you make it better? Do you have a solution that a room full of planners and execs didn't think of?

Give me your fix.
 
Infiniti's been using Q since waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before Audi. It's their letter. They literally own the rights to it. Their cars and SUVs both used it back in the 90s.

If they 'own' it then why did their lawsuit in 2005 fail to prevent Audi's usage of it?

(ironically, Audi found themselves in Infiniti's position a few years back: http://fourtitude.com/news/audi-rum...r-over-the-letter-q-ensues-says-jens-meiners/ )

I don't really play in this space, but if I were shopping for a luxury car I would consider Infiniti more on the fact that their many of cars are Nissans (which I've had great luck with) than what they named them. They could name their new coupe Dogmeat and I'd still give it a try.
 

matmanx1

Member
It actually IS doing them favors. Infiniti had a record year in sales, and not showing signs of slowing down. Also, Q is the ONLY letter they could've chosen without infringement. Didn't I just explain that? They literally own the rights to use it for cars.

Responding to the bolded: There's no logical correlation between the letter Q and Infiniti's performance this year. At least none that I have heard of. I suspect their performance this year is because they make great cars that are reliable and luxurious. At least that's why I like them.
 
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