Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Infiniti FX

It's confession-time: I've got a fetish for multi-purpose vehicles. No, I've never been a fan of SUVs. And no, the recent spate of crossovers has left me scratching my head (give me a wagon or give me death!). But what I am interested in are vehicles that can exhilarate on-road while holding their own off-road. It's that same allure that had me pressed against the window of a Subaru dealership at midnight to fantasize about the 2.5RS ten years ago; the reason that I can't wait to drive the BMW X6; and the reason I find myself in San Diego, once again, to spend some quality time with the 2009 Infiniti FX.


All photos © 2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

A certain sales manager from a certain dealership in Long Island was kind enough to take a little bit of the wind out of Infiniti's sails ahead of its unveiling of the redesigned FX CUV. The detailed headlamp shot above was posted on an Infiniti FX forum (who knew?), and pretty much confirms the styling tweaks the new fascia will get, particularly when you imagine it on the set of spy shots we've seen already. The only thing that's left to the imagination is the reconfigured rear end, which will likely sport some new tail lamps and a redesigned bumper. We'd be remiss not to point out that it's not in the dealer's best interest to include his name and contact information in his forum signature, lest Infiniti's corporate communications folks come calling.

Thanks for the tip Jonathan.


[Source: InfinitiFX.org]

Click image for photo gallery

The official unveiling of the 2009 Infiniti FX in Geneva is just a few weeks away, but prototypes are out and about as we speak, and one of Brenda Priddy's minions caught a copper-colored example in Los Angeles yesterday. While the head and taillights are taped off, not much is left to the imagination. The car's basic overall shape remains the same, but a more pronounced grille opening dominates the protruding nose. It's flanked by angry-looking reshaped headlamps that stretch backward onto the fenders. It's certainly a departure from the more reserved look of the current one's schnoz. The tape running the length of the body obscures a character line that's been seen in other photos.

Out back, pointier taillamps mimic the reshaped lighting up front, and the integrated spoiler on the rear hatch is now body-colored, as opposed to the blacked-out piece on the current car. Brenda also reports that the new FX is slightly longer than the one it's set to replace. An FX37 with at least 300 horsepower is expected, as is as a step-up model sporting a 5.0 or 5.5-liter V8 making something in the vicinity 375 - 400 horses. We'll be in Geneva to bring you the news as it happens.

[Source: Brenda Priddy & Co.]