This Infiniti has serious power. Get ready for a serious ride! From the Detroit Bureau:

With the launch of its new IPL G Convertible, Infiniti is adding some real muscle to its new performance sub-brand.

At 343 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, the 2013 Infiniti IPL G Convertible gets a noticeable bump up from the more conventional Infiniti G37 cabrio, a well-received improvement from the base car which had plenty of show but needed more go.

First introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and then updated, in concept form, at the recent Pebble Beach Concours, the IPL G shares its 3.7-liter engine with the standard-issue G37 Convertible, but it undergoes some exhaust tuning and engine management changes that add an extra 18 horsepower and 16 lb-ft of torque.

The V-6 engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic that features downshift rev matching, magnesium paddle shifters and adaptive shift control.

The suspension is retuned to deliver more aggressive handling, with uprated steering and brakes also part of the IPL upgrade. Slight body modifications improve aerodynamics, as well. And the IPL G rides on special 19-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels shot with B

ridgestone Potenza tires.

Read the full article.

Gerardo Orlando of Bullz-Eye.com checks out the Infiniti Etherea Concept at Pebble Beach!

I’ve seen tons of beautiful cars, old and new, this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It’s an amazing celebration of the automobile, and this morning we found ourselves on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach as Infiniti introduced its Etherea Concept for the first time in North America. It was a little cloudy and chilly as you can see from the photos, but the view was spectacular. Tomorrow morning we’ll be back for the Concours as some amazing classic automobiles will be on display on the same spot.

The Etherea Concept is very impressive and is worthy of such a prestigious location for its introduction. I love the lines on this car, and the suicide doors punctuate the bold design. It’s clear from this vehicle and the JX Concept introduced yesterday that Infiniti will continue to be aggressive in its styling. The Etherea is an “exploration” of a future model so it will be interesting to see the final product, but they’re definitely headed in the right direction.

Check out the full gallery!

From AutoGuide.com:

Infiniti may develop its own version of Nissan’s famous GT-R sports car. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan was asked if Infiniti would tap into the existing products through Nissan and use the brilliant GT-R sports car platform for a high- performance Infiniti.

‘Are we going to do that, I would say “no”, I don’t think so,’ said Ghosn. ‘If your question is “could we do that”, I would say “yes”. The idea of using existing technologies on the body of an Infiniti, yes. All the technologies developed for Nissan are available to Infiniti.’ Ghosn basically beat around the bush leaving the question unanswered. A GT-R type sports car is unlikely to be a priority because the company is busy prepping for the 2014 release of a small car that will rival the BMW 1-series and the 2013 release of an electric car.

Read the full article.

Infiniti has shared an exciting new project with Dashboard News! For the past few months, they’ve taken the 400-HP engine of the QX56 from a towing workhorse to a luxury boat motor with the help of local community college students. They’ve provided a press release with more information, which you can check out below.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (July 27, 2011) – The Infiniti QX56 full-size luxury SUV might be best known for its leather-trimmed, 7-passenger interior and technological advances like the world’s first Around View™ Monitor, but its real claim to fame could be its powerful, 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine and 8,500-pound towing capacity. Offering strong low-end torque, smooth operation throughout the entire RPM range and peak torque of 413 lb-ft, the Infiniti QX certainly has “power to go, power to tow” credentials in spades.

Now, in a unique twist on putting the cart before the horse, Infiniti has embarked on a one-off project to add QX power to what’s being towed – a boat modified around a QX engine and designed with the luxury, performance and craftsmanship of its flagship SUV.

“The genesis for the Infiniti QX-powered luxury boat project came about when a group of us were talking about our full-size SUV’s standing as the perfect luxury tow vehicle – capable of carrying tons of weight, and lots of people and their cargo, in style,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “So what better object to tow than a boat custom-outfitted to QX-inspired standards, starting with its powerful but fuel-efficient engine and continuing with semi-aniline leather on the seats, XM® satellite radio system with NavWeather™ and Bose® speakers, and signature Infiniti analog clock.”

The first step in the Infiniti luxury boat project is well underway with the extraction and maritime prep of the QX engine. With assistance from Infiniti engineers and training managers, a team of automotive technical training program students from Tennessee Technical Center-Nashville and Nashville State Community College removed the 5.6-liter engine and 7-speed automatic transmission from a 2011 Infiniti QX. Infiniti donated the rest of the vehicle to Tennessee Tech for continued use in their automotive curriculum.

The assignment, supervised by school instructors, was to not only remove the engine but to determine how to make it work outside the vehicle, using components such as the starter and electronic control unit, as well as removing extraneous systems, such as the power steering pump, which aren’t needed to power a boat. And, given the complex nature of today’s advanced engine electronics, controllers, processors and emissions systems, engineers at the manufacturing facility in Decherd, Tenn. – where the Infiniti QX56 engine is built – lent a considerable amount of time and knowledge to making sure the engine performs as well on water as it does on terra firma.

“It’s great to involve students from the local community in this project, especially since Infiniti QX engines are manufactured in nearby Decherd, Tennessee,” added Poore. “It’s our hope that someday students in these automotive programs who will learn from the Infiniti QX we donated to the Technical Center will go on to work at our company or Infiniti retailers’ service departments.”

With the engine removal completed, the Infiniti QX-powered luxury boat project is now being prepped to debut by next boating season. Project updates, with teaser photos, will be provided along the way at facebook.com/infiniti and twitter.com/infinitinews. Fans and followers of these sites will soon also have an opportunity to name the Infiniti-powered boat.

About Infiniti
Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

Let us know what you think of the ad below!

Breaking News!

This morning, Infiniti released the first official image of the seven passenger luxury crossover, the Infiniti JX, which is shown above. The global debut of JX will take place on August 18, at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

What do you think of this sharp ride?

Nissan left the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) two years ago to focus on larger debuts in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. But for 2012, Nissan will be present for both press conference days, on a stage in front of 5,000 journalists from 41 states and 60 countries (who attended 2011′s press days). But unlike 2011, blogs around the world won’t post their horror stories of covering a single 16-hour day of press previews: major manufacturers like Nissan, Ford, GM and Chrysler have supported the two-day press conference schedule. No more passed-out journalists or media room fighting.

“We’re thankful that NAIAS is, once again, an important part of Nissan’s international auto show strategy,” said NAIAS chairman Bill Perkins. ”NAIAS remains one of the most important motor events in the world, and our manufacturer partners know that we do everything possible to create an exciting, supportive venue.”

Read the full article.

Today, Infiniti announced that a total of $500,000 has been raised for Coaches vs. Cancer as part of its sponsorship of the Round by Round Bracket Challenge! They also presented a $100,000 check in the name of University of Florida men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan’s designated charity, the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, for winning the inaugural Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Thirteen other coaches’ charity organizations will receive $10,000 donations on behalf of Infiniti.

Read the full press release below for more information!

Infiniti “Round by Round” Bracket Challenge Raises $500,000 For Coaches Vs. Cancer® Charity Effort

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (May 2, 2011) – Infiniti today announced that a total of $500,000 has been raised as part of its sponsorship of the “Round by Round Coaches vs. Cancer” bracket game and CBSSports.com’s “Bracket Challenge” during the recent 2011 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The charity-based effort was part of Infiniti’s comprehensive corporate partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports and Turner Sports.

Fan participation was a key element of Infiniti’s donation to Coaches vs. Cancer, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Fans, who registered at cbssports.com/Infiniti, made picks for each of the 67 match-ups throughout the championship tournament, including the First Four™ and the Men’s Final Four®. Participants were encouraged to return to the bracket and select their picks throughout the six competition rounds and were eligible to win weekly prizes, including computer tablets and a grand prize of a trip for two to next year’s 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans.

“Infiniti thanks all those who participated in the ‘Round by Round Coaches vs. Cancer’ brackets this year and helped push our donation to nearly a half million dollars – money that will help further the American Cancer Society’s great work,” said Ben Poore, vice president, Infiniti Business Unit. “We also want to thank all the coaches and people associated with Coaches vs. Cancer for their continuing efforts in raising awareness in the ongoing fight against cancer.”

“The great thing about this promotion and the thing that makes it so special is that it allowed your average basketball fan the chance to make a difference in the fight against cancer,” added Howard Goodrow, senior director, National Business Development, American Cancer Society. “The folks at Infiniti recognize that it will take a collective effort on all our parts to conquer this disease and through this program they were able to bring more people to the fight.”

About Infiniti
Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at InfinitiUSA.com.

About NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit NCAA.org and NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. [NCAA, First Four and Final Four are trademarks of or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]

About CBS Sports
CBS Sports, a year-round leader in television sports, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including the NFL’s American Football Conference; THE NFL TODAY; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters® and PGA Championship; college football, including the SEC ON CBS; the U.S. Open Tennis Championships; CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR, including track & field, auto racing and gymnastics. In addition, the division directs the CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour national cable network; produces Inside the NFL for Showtime; and partners with CBS Sports.com in creating a recognized leader among sports Internet destinations.

About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports’ television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company’s digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

About Coaches vs. Cancer
Coaches vs. Cancer has raised more than $60 million since 1993 to support the Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back against the disease. More information is available here.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest “Phog” Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.

Bullz-Eye and Dashboard News will be on hand in Houston for the Final Four, along with our friends at Inifiniti, who debuted ads for their sleek new M Hybrid during tournament telecasts this year. Many consider March Madness the greatest event in sports, and to see two Cinderellas fight for the chance to meet two of the game’s most respected programs in the title game will be memorable, for sure.

Below, we’ve detailed five things we’re most looking forward to as we prepare for this weekend’s games. Check them out, but first, learn more about the all-new 360 hp, 32 mpg Infiniti M Hybrid, the high-performance hybrid.

Read the entire article.

Please visit the Infiniti Round by Round Coaches vs. Cancer contest to sign up. For more information, check out the video below.

This is a great cause that Infiniti is working on and we here at Dashboard News wish them the best of luck!