Straightline

Carlos Ghosn rose from the mist of Geneva's Halles des Sablieres (which sounds poetic but is in fact just a big warehouse) to tell us about the Infiniti brand's October 2008 launch in Europe. Right now, you can't buy Infinitis here, not even badged as Nissans. He was as quotable as ever: "If all we had to offer was the me-too type of luxury, then we could never be successful." "If something is exclusive, then someone will inevitably be excluded from it."

Then, he disappeared, and a man in a large, flowing bat costume appeared. As he flapped, seductively dressed dancers joined him, but none held a candle to his battiness.





How this relates to the 2009 Infiniti FX50 that dropped down from a coffin hung in the rafters, we're not sure. But this is a hugely powerful SUV. A 5.0-liter V8 with variable valve timing and lift delivers 390 horsepower and, says Infiniti, upward of 435 pound-feet of torque.

For comparison, an X5 4.8i (presumably the five-passenger FX50's chief rival) provides 350 hp and 350 lb-ft. A seven-speed automatic transmission drives either the rear wheels or all four. Infiniti says an "advanced V6" engine is coming, and we'd be very surprised if it wasn't related to the 330-hp 3.7-liter in our G37 coupe.



We don't know how much the FX weighs, but with an aluminum hood and door panels (not to mention various aluminum suspension parts), Infiniti has seemingly stacked the deck in its favor, though the optional 21-inch Enkei wheels probably don't contribute to the weight conservation effort.



One area that particularly impressed us is the interior. Harsh light conditions at the party prevented us from getting a decent photo, so we're showing you a press shot of an identical car. The wood inlays on the console and doors are very large, and the leather is soft -- all in all, a more traditional but richer look than we're accustomed to in the current-gen FX35/45 sold in the U.S.



U.S. and Canadian sales of the 2009 Infiniti FX50, and presumably, the FX37, begin in June 2008. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor, Inside Line