New Cars 2011: Infiniti QX56

In the field of full size luxury SUVs, there are quite a few contenders. Marques like Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, are all thought of when the topic is brought up. Not to be outdone, Nissan's luxury branch, Infiniti, has redesigned their contender in the segment for 2011.
Launched in 2004 as a 2005, the Infiniti QX56 was based on the also-luxurious-but-cheaper Nissan Armada. That truck, in turn, is based on the Nissan Titan. As you would expect, the Armada and its Infiniti cousin share all of its mechanicals, from the 5.6L 317 horse V8, to the smooth shifting 5 speed automatic. It and the Armada share pretty everything else, from the multiple seating arrangements to the clever (but often quite problematic) power liftgate. Inside, the first generation trucks boasted excellent room in all three rows of seats, a feat that is tough for most three row SUVs, and plenty of luxury touches to win over Lexus shoppers.
Unfortunately, whereas the first-generation trucks looked impeccably sexy from damn near every angle, this new truck.. well.. it falls short; dramatically. I mean, just look at it. It looks like someone forced a G37 to have sex with a Nissan Armada, and its shows. This new vehicle appears to have partially melted at the factory. From the oddball shaped headlights, to body that appears to have massive amounts of baby fat glued to its sheetmetal, right down to the slim, rounded-square taillights, the whole thing looks awful.
There's a reason for that, though. Since the Nissan Armada itself isn't a big seller, Infiniti decided to base their latest luxuotruck on the much endowed, but quite ugly Nissan Patrol SUV. This thinking is right in line with that of Lexus; their newest SUV, the GX460, is based on the worldwide smaller version of the Toyota LandCruiser "Prado". Like the Lexus, Infiniti hopes it can sell what is seen as a "tough truck" worldwide as a luxury vehicle here. Most US customers wouldn't know what either of these vehicles are, but for true enthusiasts, the new QX will be a disappointment.
And that's a shame, too, because despite the horrid exterior, I'm sure the QX is a really great truck mechanically. Too bad styling comes first for much of the US' car buying public.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: VW Karmann Ghia

Continuing my theme of foreign sports-oriented cars is this cute little VW Karmann Ghia. Being a Minnesota car, it does show signs of possible bondo and respray, but it's over 35 years old. Can you blame it?
This car makes me miss old cars. Not because of the "OMG classic" factor either. Older cars, as a rule, are far prettier than their modern counterparts. In addition to amazing overall shapes, the complex detail is what really makes older vehicles fascinating to me. This VW Karmann Ghia is no different.
Overall, the appearance of this example looked pretty good. No obvious dents or deep scratches, but wear and tear was abound. The paint had massive amounts of orange peel which suggests a repaint at some point. The hubcaps, too seemed a bit odd. They had no central VW logo, suggesting that they're replicas. Not bad, really, but I'd try to at least find correct hubcaps. Or maybe they're really early hubcaps. Again, not bad, but for that look to work, they'd need to find old steelies, too. The trim, though, appears in great shape. The intricate detail of the Karmann Ghia script is simply amazing. I only wish carmakers did that now. Although, that kind of scripture wouldn't work on today's modern cars. Shame, really, because it looks really neat.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Triumph TR-6

I love British roadsters: I can't stress it enough. Over time, the Triumph TR-6 has slowly become my favorite car of the moment, right under the '58 Chevy lineup (especially Impalas and wagons), and '61 and '62 T-birds and same year Continentals. I guess I have a variety of favorites. Anyway, I've begun shooting TR-6 in mass now, and I have maybe 10 or so colors backlogged.
This example was far from a show car though. Rash, scrapes, and the occasional ding do mark up this TR-6. The paint on this one has definitely seen better days, although most of the imperfections seem to center on the front of the vehicle. While some TRs suffer from saggy doors, this one did not. All the trim was there, too, just a bit "daily driver"fied. The wheels, too, had some wear on them. It's what's call a 3 footer. From across the street it looks great. Up close, though, the car tells a different story. No doubt it's still fun to drive, however.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mini Minor

I've featured classic Minis before, but this one is a new one on me. Most of the examples I've shot are modified tastefully; this one, well, there are some questions. The paint and fit and finish are nicely done, overall, but what I don't get is the Super Bee theme. In honesty, the yellow and black theme is quite nice, though I'm not a fan of the painted over chrome much. On this car, it kind of works. I would ditch the Super Bee logo-- for a few reasons. First of all, the "Bee" idea doesn't really work in general, second of all.. this is a Mini not a Mopar, and third.. the graphic itself looks rather cheesy, even on the Mopars it came on.
The wheels are pretty cool, though. Being a small car, it doesn't need overly large wheels, and these 10-inchers suit the car just fine, though they're slightly smaller than what I'm used to seeing. Perhaps this setup is good for racing? ( I doubt it.) The wheel design is nice, too; it's different from the typical Minilite-style wheel without being too cluttered. Perfect for this car, I say.
Inside, things were pretty good, too. No unneccesary crap (well, it's a Minimalist car lol) to degrade the driving experience. Even though the exterior is a yellow and black theme, the interior seems a bit..ricey? I know, I know. Details, details, but even though I like the combo, not everyone will. I will say that the yellow piped seats are a bit off-putting, but they somehow don't clash with this car. At least it isn't a Neon *cough*
If this specimen were mine, I'd ditch the Bee idea, restitch the interior to all black, and maybe take away some of the black on the exterior and put the proper chrome back on. Then it would be near perfect in my book. As it is, it's a nice classic Mini that borders on rice. That said, I'd still drive it, and run circles around your Prius in real-world gas mileage and fun-factor.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Opel GT

Most of the European cars I see here are of the VW/BMW/Mercedes variety; I hardly ever see obscure Euro cars outside of shows, so this sexy lil Opel GT was a surprise for me! The deep green paint is simply stunning! Not only does the color itself look amazing, the application on the tiny GT is excellent!; it brings out the lines of this thing PERFECTLY! The factory wheels are in immpecable here, and unlike most applications, I would not replace these little gems.
As with the exterior, the interior was also in good shape. Although it's not luxurious, it gets the job done. If you wanted luxury in this time period, you bought a Mercedes SL roadster. If you wanted roadster you got a TR6, and if you desired a muscle car, you bought, well.. a Corvette. Like the Corvette it resembles, this car is, too, a sporting vehicle.
Unlike brute power, and wide tires, the Opel GT gives the driver joy in its lightweight and tossability factor, a powerhouse it is not. Like the Corvette, though, the little GT does have a following here. Its following is much smaller than the 'vette for obvious reasons. Can you count on two hands how many Opel GTs you see on a daily basis? Exactly. Try the same with Corvettes, and it's an entirely different story.
With this car, I'd leave it as is. I love it! I'd have one of these, in this exact color to boot. Park it next to my BRG TR6, please, thanks!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevy Nova

Okay, I've shot a similar car, but this example is so much better. Not only is this '75+ Nova in extremely better condition, the owner seems to love it rather than let it sit on the roadside collecting dust and grime. The paint is damn near perfect, and judging by the dealer sticker on the back, it might be original. Likewise, the trim, too. However, the Torq Thrusts are not. Doesn't mean they don't look good, however. This rolling stock is ten times better than the factory hubcaps and/or steel wheels this car came with over thirty years ago.
Since I obviously can't just guess what engine powers this, I'd like to think a 350 does. For all I know, it could be something as lame as a straight six, or even a dreaded 307. Who knows. I'd like to see it with something built and turboed. Maybe I'm a damned boost junkie, but this thing would be killer with a boosted 355+ cube motor. Maybe an LSA/LS9 backed up with a six-speed-stick? Hmmm.. I could have fun with that!