Gearhead Gazette

Infiniti Q50 finally gets the death it has craved, won't make it to 2025

Aug 22, 2024 by admin
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When Infinity released the list of updates coming to its 2025MY lineup, we counted just four: QX80, QX60, QX55, and QX50. Gone from the roll call, the Q50 sedan. The automaker confirmed this was no accident, telling Motor1, "Acting on our commitment to transform our vehicle line with four new products beginning with the all-new 2025 QX80, the Infiniti Q50 sedan will not be available in the United States and Canada after the 2024 model year." Eleven years and one generation (!) after going on the market as a replacement for the G37, the Q50 is nearly so anonymous that it doesn't even get credit for its two firsts: Introducing Infiniti's Q naming scheme, and introducing a steer-by-wire system that found no fans. We say "nearly so anonymous" because the Q50, as with the G35 and G37 coupes and sedans before it, supports a lively tuner community all about the car. Searching "Q50 tuning" at one Q50 forum returns the maximum 500 results, that number being more than the average number of Q50s that U.S. Infiniti dealers sell in a month. read more

Monterey Car Week recap, 2025 Lincoln Navigator and more | Autoblog Podcast #845

Aug 22, 2024 by admin
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In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. They look back on Monterey Car Week, and pick their favorite highlights from the event, including the new Lincoln Navigator, the Ruf Rodeo, Cadillac Opulent Velocity concept and more. In the news, Ford has abandoned its three-row EV in a pivot to hybrid. Our hosts review recent cars in the fleet, like the Mercedes GLC Coupe, long-term Mazda CX-90 and the three-wheel Can-Am Ryker. They also compare the Jeep Gladiator with the Wrangler. read more

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Mazda 323 DX 1.6i Hatchback

Aug 22, 2024 by admin
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While exploring the car graveyards of the world, I encounter many vehicles with incredibly high final odometer readings and even more in incredibly rough condition. Every once in a while, I run across discarded older vehicles in beautiful condition, often with very low miles. Today's Mazda, found in a Northern California boneyard, is one of the latter type. read more

Junkyard Gem: 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage S Coupe

Aug 22, 2024 by admin
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The very first front-wheel-drive Mitsubishi production car was the Mirage subcompact, which first hit Japanese streets in 1978. We were introduced to this car when it appeared in North America as a 1979 model with Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ badging, replacing the rear-wheel-drive Colts that had been sold here since 1972. Mirage-based Colts were available in the United States all the way through 1994, but that wasn't the end for that generation of Mirage on our streets. Here's a Mirage from the first year of the post-Colt era, found in a Colorado self-service boneyard recently. read more

2025 BMW 5 Series Review: A balanced luxury sedan

Aug 22, 2024 by admin
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The BMW 5 Series is a midsize luxury sedan that is undergoing a rebirth in this electrified era. After being completely redesigned for 2024, the 2025 model year sees the lineup filling out with higher-performance plug-in hybrid trims, including the new 550e and the hi-po M5 PHEV (which will also offer a wagon body style). What we’ve seen so far from this generation of the 5 Series is more streamlined luxury, with better tech and fewer frills. In its more modest trims, the 5er might not be as sharp of a driving tool as the Audi A6, nor quite as posh inside as the Mercedes-Benz E Class, but that middle ground might just be what you’re looking for in a luxury sedan. read more