Infiniti is aiming to add several new products and revamp its volume-leading G lineup of vehicles over the next few years. The first car set to be unveiled is a new compact front-drive model, likely based on either the new Mercedes A-Class or B-Class architecture, and likely sharing the same engines with its German counterpart. The new model is rumored to bow as early as the Geneva Auto Show this March.

Following that reveal will be an all new version of the G Sedan. Infiniti’s most successful model by far, it’s also one of the main rivals for the BMW 3 Series and if the past is any hint, Infiniti isn’t likely to shy away from horsepower, handling and style. In fact, according to one report the car is touted to get a “dramatic” strip of LED lights across the front. Suggestions for a debut include the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, or the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, over a year away from now.

During this period Infiniti will also look to roll out its first electric vehicle, based on the Nissan Leaf.

[Source: AutoCar]

If you’re a skeptic of electric and hybrid vehicles and think the only reason they’re having any success in the market is because of support through government incentives then you’re going to love this.

According to a new report by Bloomberg, the Obama Administration is responsible for purchasing almost a quarter of all hybrid vehicles sold by both Ford and General Motors. Purchases of hybrids by the administration have also increased as overall retail sales declined. In 2008 hybrids accounted for one percent of all vehicles purchased by the U.S. General Services Administration, while in the past two fiscal years the agency has purchased 14,584 hybrids – roughly 10 percent of the total 145,473 vehicles. Meanwhile, hybrids are approaching their third consecutive decline in sales.

Often credited for not taking bailouts by the Federal Government, Ford has benefited from the 2009 economic stimulus package with a total of 3,100 hybrids being bought out of a $300 million fund. An additional 5,600 hybrids were bought using cash from selling older fleet vehicles. Since Obama took office, his administration has accounted for 14 percent of all Ford Escape Hybrids sold, 29 percent of all Ford Fusion Hybrids sold and 64 percent of all Chevy Malibu Hybrids sold.

And while Ford and GM certainly aren’t the only automakers selling hybrids, they essentially account for all of the GSA’s purchases, with the department having acquired just 17 Toyota Prius models and only five Honda Civic Hybrids in the past two years.

Critics have long criticized government incentives as propping up sales of hybrids, which wouldn’t otherwise sell. Now it appears as though the government is doing far more to subsidize the ‘green car’ industry.

[Source: Bloomberg]

With Nissan’s recent announcement of the Leaf EV’s official EPA fuel economy rating of 99-mpg average, the folks at Chevy were just receiving their EPA data for the Volt. Because of it’s unique drive system, the Volt’s numbers are far more complicated, however, and we’re probably just getting this release by Chevy now because it took so long to craft the press release. But allow us to explain:

As an EV and a Hybrid (yes, we know GM says it’s a full EV), the Volt gets two (or three) different numbers. The 37/96-mpg rating isn’t for city and highway, but rather for extended range and pure EV range. In other words, for the first 35 miles (or as long as the car operated on pure electricity) it is rated at 93-mpg. Once the battery is depleted and the gasoline engine kicks in, you’re looking at a 37-mpg range. Also included is a more realistic 60-mpg figure that’s described as a “composite” number. It’s the most important as it gives an idea as to what to expect if you drive the Volt daily and deplete the battery during your commute.

The Volt’s official total range is set at 379 miles, with 344 of those mile under extended range.

The Ford Fiesta is showing up in the most unlikely of places, and the most recent has to be its addition in the new The Sims 3 life simulation game,

The popular game by EA now offers players the option to download the Ford Fiesta for free. It’s part of the Fiesta Urban Streetscape package, which comes with a Ford Fiesta, graffiti graphic, Fiesta crossing sign and other items that let you add some Ford pizzazz to your game.

If you’ve never played or heard of The Sims before, players can create lifelike characters with unique personalities. These characters can explore their neighborhood, design and build their surroundings, and have goals and lifetime wishes. Players determine whether to fulfill their destinies by choosing whether or not to give them a lifetime of happiness and rewards.

You can download the Fiesta in hatchback or sedan body style, and you can also choose the color.

Ford models have also made an appearance in both The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 games – in fact, more than 8 million Ford vehicles have been downloaded by players. The Ford Edge, Mustang, Escape Hybrid, Focus and Fusion were available for download in The Sims 2, and an EA internal study showed 28 percent of players drive Ford vehicles in real life.

“Fiesta is the perfect fit for The Sims player,” said Brian McClary, Ford social and emerging media specialist. “It’s a fun car that lets players engage in the game more, and the additional items that come along with the package give them even more freedom to express their individuality.”

You can download the Ford Fiesta for The Sims 3 at www.TheSims3.com.

Not to be outdone by Ferrari and Porsche, Aston Martin is launching their own timepiece – the AMVOX2 DB9 Transponder.

Designed by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the official watch partner of Aston Martin Racing, the DB9 Transponder is striking, as it’s encased in grade five titanium. Its black dial is adorned with a grille-type motif and its rhodium-plated metallic numerals found in the center of the watch are coated with black luminescent.

The coolest function of this watch has to be the fact that is comes an integrated transponder circuit. This allows you to unlock or lock your Aston Martin DB9 by pressing the watch’s sapphire crystal. Owners can also use the Open and Close zones to activate a Find Me function. This illuminates the car’s headlamps for several seconds so you can find your car easily.

Also featured on the timepiece are the DB9 logo, the hands and hour-markers, all which are gilded. It almost looks like the float in the center, while its window shows the “ruthenium mainplate and bridges of the exquisitely refined movement.”

The DB9 is the third generation of watches released by Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin. The DBS Transponder was the first to hit the market globally, about two years ago, and was also the first mechanical watch that could control access to a luxury sports car.

The AMVOX2 DB9 Transponder watch is available to order now from the Aston Martin and costs $24,400 U.S.  You can purchase it at your Aston Martin dealership.

General Motors has announced that is recalling some 192,676 2004-11 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup regular and extended cab models (plus certain  2008-09 Isuzu i280/i370 trucks) fitted with 60/40 split front bench seats because of  tether issues for child seats.

According to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards applicable in the U.S. and Canada, the location of the top tethers on the center part of these seats means they aren’t accessible for properly securing child seats. Although to date, there have been no reported instances of injuries resulting from this issue, GM is urging customers who own one of these vehicles to contact their local dealer as soon as possible to have the tethers modified.

The dealer will fix the problem at any time and free of charge, regardless of the age or mileage of the vehicle. In the meantime GM is stressing that owners of these trucks, if they are going to install a child seat, should secure it on the right side of the front seat, where the top tether is more accessible and the child chair can be better secured in place.

India’s Mahindra will buy troubled Korean carmaker Ssangyong for $463 million, with Mahindra gaining a 70% stake in the company. The deal is expected to conclude in March, 2011.

“Together with its financial capability, Mahindra offers competence in sourcing and marketing strategy while Ssangyong has strong capabilities in technology,” Mahindra President Pawan Goenka said in the statement. “We are committed to leveraging the combined synergies by investing in a new Ssangyong product portfolio to gain momentum in global markets.”

Ssangyong, a maker of SUVs, trucks and minivans, faced a sales crunch when those segments fell out of favor with consumers during the economic crisis. Ssangyong’s most recent products, namely the Rodius, have been pilloried in the press for their bizarre designs, which some have labeled as the world’s ugliest cars.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Mitsubishi recently reached a milestone with the completion of their 5000th i-MiEV electric car, which rolled off the line at its Mizushima plant this week.

After starting production in June of 2009, the i-MiEV has been a hit in Japan, and will make its debut in America in late 2011 after being unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The i-MiEV will also hit Europe next year, in advance of the car’s North American launch.

[Source: Left Lane News]

Porsche‘s CEO confirmed that the brand will launch a diesel powered variant of the Panamera sports sedan in late 2011. Using the success of the Cayenne diesel as an example, CEO Matthias Muller made the announcement during an interview with Germany’s Westfalen-Blatt newspaper.

The Panamera diesel is expected to get a 3.0L V6 TDI engine making 240 horsepower, connected to an 8-speed automatic. Acceleration and performance is surely to be not-quite-thrilling, but the Porsche badge will remain the same, and that’s what matters for most buyers.

[Source: World Car Fans]

A resident of Vancouver, British Columbia saw his Ferrari get auctioned off by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after they seized the vehicle for excessive speed in September.

The Ferrari was racing a BMW M6 in the north end of Vancouver, and was clocked traveling 124 mph in a zone designated for speeds of around 40 mph. Reports state that the Ferrari narrowly missed a mother and her children.

Provincial laws allow the police to seize and take possession of vehicles involved in excessive speeding or reckless driving incidents. The Scuderia ended up selling for $306,000, with the money divided between the vehicle’s owner and the government in an 80/20 split. The BMW M6 will be auctioned sometime next week.

[Source: The Province]