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The 2021 Infiniti QX80 Delivers V8 Powered Luxury for Families

We’ve always appreciated Infiniti’s full-size SUV, the QX80. The second generation of the brand’s flag ship SUV was launched for the 2011 model year and apart from a couple facelifts, has remained relatively unchanged. For 2021, Infiniti has added some new features and tech to enhance the family-friendly luxury vehicle but for the most part, the QX80 remains faithful to the big. powerful SUV we’re familiar with.

While it may not be the new kid on the block, Infiniti’s full-size SUV offers attractive design, a family-friendly cabin and a powerful V8 engine. Add in the SUV’s competitive pricing and broad range of standard features at a reasonable price and it is hard to find reasons not to add the QX80 to the “must consider” list when shopping for a luxury vehicle that can comfortably seat up to 8.

Infiniti offers the QX80 in three trim levels: Luxe, Premium Select and Sensory. All models are powered by a proven 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine and a 7-speed automatic transmission. Thanks in part to the SUV’s 413 lb-ft of torque and body-on-frame construction, the QX80 can tow up to 8,500 pounds. That towing capacity matches or bests most vehicles in the segment.

The rear-wheel-drive QX80 achieves an EPA-estimated 14/20 mpg city/highway on premium unleaded fuel, while four-wheel-drive models achieve 13/19 mpg city/highway. Fuel economy numbers are in line with those of similar V8-powered full-size luxury SUVs.

The QX80 is surprisingly quick. Infiniti’s V8 is more than adequate to handle the SUV’s 5,800 lbs. Zero to sixty ticks by in six seconds (give or take). The QX80’s muscle takes the stress out of pulling onto the highway and makes passing a breeze. And while it’s not really a key factor for family SUV’s, the growl of the engine and exhaust makes us smile.

A Quick Look at the QX80’s Trim Levels

Starting at the TOP, the new “Sensory” model offers the most equipment and refinement of the bunch. Semi-aniline leather-appointed seats, charcoal burl trim and a new graphite tricot headliner wrap occupants with high quality materials. Twenty-two inch alloy wheels and chrome mirror caps help set the exterior apart. Not apparent from the photos, Infiniti’s “Hydraulic Body Motion Control System” offers enhanced cornering stability and a smoother ride.

The entry level “LUXE” model includes a long list of standard technology. Blind spot intervention, lane departure prevention, distance control assist, a rear seat belt reminder and intelligent cruise control are all included. The QX80 has a two touchscreen infotainment system and a Bose 13-speaker sound system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration complement the standard navigation, Bluetooth audio and satellite radio.

Our “PREMIUM SELECT” review vehicle included the tech features from the LUXE and adds exterior trim enhancements first seen on the limited-run 2020 QX80 ‘Edition 30.’ Dark chrome and black highlights the QX80’s front grille, Dark chrome 22-inch alloy wheels fender vents, door mirror caps and rear tailgate strip give the SUV a sporty appearance. Three interior trim colors are also available; Graphite, Truffle Brown and Sahara Stone.

Cabin and Cargo

The 10-way adjustable driver’s seat and tilt-telescopic wheel make finding a comfortable driving position easy work. We are fans of the thick cushion and shape of the QX80 front seats. They help make daily commutes palatable and long trips feel shorter.

Second-row captain’s chairs are standard, and these provide seven-passenger seating. An optional 60/40-split folding second-row bench seat is available for those who need seating for eight. All models come with a power-adjustable 60/40-split third-row bench seat that folds and reclines.

Infiniti’s QX80 offers 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, enough room for a handful of overnight bags. Families that can leave the third seat folded will find the 49.6 cubic feet of cargo space perfect for weekend out of town trips. With the second- and third-row seats folded, the QX80 provides 95.1 cubic feet of cargo space.

Pricing

The 2021 Infiniti QX80 Luxe starts at $69,050 plus a $1,395 destination fee. If you want to add all-wheel-drive, the AWD QX80 Luxe starts at $72,150.

Our review vehicle, the 2021 QX80 Premium Select, costs $73,350 with RWD or $76,450 with AWD (as tested). Infiniti’s top-trim QX80 Sensory model starts at $80,200 for a RWD and $83,300 with AWD. All in, ticking all option boxes, and a 2021 Infiniti QX80 Sensory costs about $90,000.

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Even the Base Model is Luxury: The 2020 Cadillac CT5

Known for his infectious sense of humor, captivating personality, and impeccable sense of style, my Italian-American grandfather owned a night club just outside of Boston, danced soft-shoe, sang with Jimmy Durante, and, of course, drove a Cadillac.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Cadillac nameplate represented the finest made-in-America quality, luxury and prestige. Since the ‘70s, minus a slight misstep or two (*cough* Cimarron) Cadillac has continued to be a well-respected brand, especially among U.S. buyers wanting to drive a domestic luxury car.

The 2020 CT5 provides a refined ride while maintaining the world-class handling and fun-to-drive characteristics that define Cadillac sedans.

Over the years, the evolution at Cadillac has resulted in the replacement of the iconic names like Fleetwood, Eldorado and DeVille with letters such as CTS, STS, XLR, CTS and ATS and for this review the all-new 2020 Cadillac CT5. Whatever names or letters or numbers, the basic formula has remained the same, Cadillac continues to build attractive luxury vehicles that offer strong performance and the CT5 is no exception.

The 2020 CT5 provides a refined ride while maintaining the world-class handling and fun-to-drive characteristics that define Cadillac sedans. Photos courtesy of Cadillac.

The 2020 Cadillac CT5 is available with two engines and in four different trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, and V. For our review we spent a week in the Premium Luxury and V models.

Attractive Design Inspired by a Concept Car

Inspired by the Escala concept, Cadillac’s CT5 brings a coupe-like presence to the sedan’s silhouette. LED lights all around add to the modern design. It is hard to argue with the merits of the final product. The new CT5 is sleek and attractive.

Cadillac Escala concept car. Photo courtesy of Cadillac.

Performance Figures and Driving Impressions

The base CT5 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 237 horsepower and 258 lb⋅ft of torque. Two optional 3.0 twin turbo V6 engines are also available. Non V series are powered by a 335 horsepower and 400 lb⋅ft of torque version. A 360-horsepower and 405 lb⋅ft of torque variant can be found under the hood of the CT5-V. All engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic.

The 2020 CT5 provides a refined ride while maintaining the world-class handling and fun-to-drive characteristics that define Cadillac sedans.

Fuel economy is rated up to 23 city /32 highway mpg with the four-cylinder. The turbo V6 is rated up to 18 city / 26 highway.

We split our time between the Premium Luxury and the V trims. The Premium Luxury was equipped with all-wheel-drive, the aforementioned 335-horsepower turbocharged V6 and 10-speed automatic. The engine provided plenty of power, sending the CT5 from zero to sixty in less than five seconds, but the overall package is geared towards comfort verses sportiness. The suspension is compliant, even soft. Steering is precise and the brakes use an electronic set up that removes any direct connection from the pedal to the master cylinder. That said, they work great.

Cadillac kicks everything up a bit with the V-Series model. The 360-horsepower variant of the V6 provides more punch. Zero to sixty clicks by in 4.6 seconds. The suspension is tuned for a sportier ride. GM’s 4th generation “MagneRide” system allows the driver to dial in the level of damping, but even at the most extreme settings the CT5 is not punishing or razor taut. The V-series Brembo brakes have a lot in common with the new Corvette and bring the lightweight CT5 to halt in short order.

The two vehicles share a lot of DNA, but the CT5-V is clearly the enthusiast’s choice. The overall driving dynamics are impressive, especially given the practicality of the sedan. We miss the fire-breathing V8 found in the CTS-V that the CT5 replaces, but the CT5-V is its own vehicle and is better considered apart from the sport sedan it sort of replaces.

Even the Base Model is Luxury (really)

The base Luxury model arrives with 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and push-button start.  The 10-inch infotainment system includes eight-speaker audio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard active safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking and a teen driver system that allows you to configure the CT5 specifically for a beginning driver.

Cadillac CT5 driver’s cockpit.

Our Premium Luxury extras include leather seating, heating side mirrors, a hands-free deck lid and wireless device charging. Our review vehicle also had the optional all-wheel-drive system. Opting for the Premium Luxury trim also gives the consumer a chance to add lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display and premium audio.

Pricing

The base Luxury model starts at $36,895 plus fees. The Premium Luxury starts at $40,695 and the V-Series at $47,695.

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Deremer Studios Chronicles the 2020 HSR Classic 24 at Daytona International Speedway

Nate Deremer, of Deremer Studios, LLC JCC’s official photographer, visited Daytona International Speedway November 4-8, 2020 for the HSR Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA.

The HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing, LLC) Classic 24 Hour is a yearly event open to cars that were raced from 1960 through 2013 at Daytona. A little tweak to the 24 Hour tradition, instead of running all the cars throughout the night the field is divided into race groups from specific periods that are run at four different times throughout a 24 hour period. Each race consists of 45 minutes of track time which includes a five-minute pit stop for non-mandatory driver changes.

See the full list of entrants here

Nate’s photos are always incredible and his shots at Daytona’s historic racetrack do not disappoint. View the photo album on the Deremer Studios, LLC website at

https://www.deremerstudios.com/Automotive-Photography/Motorsports-Photography/2020-HSR-Classic-24-Daytona/

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2020 Ponte Vedra Auto Show – November 15, 2020

Photo and information courtesy of The Ponte Vedra Auto Show.

 The Ponte Vedra Auto Show  is open and free to spectators. The show features up to 200 classic and collector cars! Jacksonville Car Culture’s Chris Brewer will be on hand to help judge the 50th Anniversary of the Z Car special display.

Show registration to display a vehicle is open until November 12, 2020 at https://pvautoshow.com/register-for-show-1

Where and When:

November 15, 2020 

9 am-3 pm

The show takes place on the Nocatee Event Field located at 

 245 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081 

Parking for the event is free!

About

The Ponte Vedra Auto show is presented by Art ‘n Motion in association with the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce and the St. Johns County Tourism Development Council.

For more information visit: https://pvautoshow.com/

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Lyn St. James named Official Honoree of the 26th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance May 20-23, 2021

Racer, writer, broadcaster, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Lyn St. James is the Honoree of the 26 th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance scheduled for May 20-23, 2021.

Lyn’s life is a high speed motorsports adventure. Her racing career began in a Ford Pinto –her daily driver – in the 1970s and had its grand finale more than two decades later in a special commemorative ceremony on the “yard of bricks” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

Lyn at the Indianapolis 500 in 1993. Photo courtesy of Lyn St. James.
Her first titles were a pair of regional south Florida road racing championships. She moved up quickly racing a Corvette at Sebring, Palm Beach and Daytona. A brave class victory in the punishing 1979 24 Hours of the Nurburgring racing an AMC Spirit AMX sponsored by BF Goodrich is an exotic and sometimes overlooked line on Lyn’s deep resume. By then corporate America liked what they were seeing and hearing from the racer from Willoughby, OH.

She graduated to the pro ranks in the 1980s as a Ford factory racer. In 1984 Autoweek magazine named her Rookie of the Year in IMSA’s GTO class. A year later she won IMSA’s Norelco Driver of the Year award. That was a very good year: an IMSA GTO victory came in August 1985 at Road America in the Lowenbrau Classic. A month later, on one of her favorite tracks, the full Grand Prix course at Watkins Glen, Lyn scored an unprecedented and still unequalled solo IMSA GTO class victory in the Serengeti Drivers New York 500 racing a Roush Mustang. The eighties also saw two class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona. 
Lyn celebrates after winning the IMSA GTO class at the Serengeti Drivers New York 500 at Watkins Glen in 1985. Photo courtesy of Lyn St. James.

For Lyn the eighties were fast and productive. In 1988 she set a closed course speed record for women at 212.577 mph in a Bill Elliott-built Thunderbird. That was just one of 21 national and international speed records Lyn authored. She earned another page in the record books with an Indy 500 qualifying lap of 227.32 mph that stood as a record for women until Sarah Fisher’s lap of 229.675 mph qualifying for the 2002 “500.”

In 1989 she entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Ford-powered Spice. Another classic race course and even though her car retired on Sunday morning Lyn logged a lot of seat time. She returned to the classic French 24 Hours in 1991 with two-time World Sports Car Championship race winner Desiré Wilson and Cathy Muller, but their Cosworth-powered Spice prototype lasted just 47 laps. In 1990, Lyn earned yet another GTO class win in another famous classic endurance race, the 12 Hours of Sebring, with a Mercury Cougar XR-7.

Lyn gives a thumbs up after qualifying for the Indy 500 in 1992. Photo courtesy of Lyn St. James.

It was a visit to the Indy 500 with her mother in 1966 that revealed Lyn’s passion for motorsport. Her Indy 500 career began with a surprise test at Memphis Motorsports Park in a Dick Simon Racing Lola. Things began to move quickly. Lyn’s commercial, marketing and persuasive skills brought JCPenney to her Indy rookie program.

On Memorial Day 1992, Lyn raced her JCPenney sponsored Lola/Chevy — the Spirit of the American Woman — to eleventh place, becoming the first woman to win Indy’s prestigious Rookie of the Year award.

Even today she is quick to remind us that she still holds the record as Indy’s oldest Rookie of the Year winner. Eight years and seven Indy 500s later Lyn retired from Indy Car competition with career earnings of nearly $1.2 million.

Lyn St. James behind the wheel of the JCPenney sponsored Lola during the Indy 500. Photo courtesy of Lyn St. James.

Lyn’s strong entrepreneurial streak first emerged in an auto components business that fused with her passion for racing. Her ability to see and understand motorsport from the perspective of the cockpit and the boardroom has been a constant asset during her long tenure in and around motorsport. In 2010 those skills were honored by Automotive News as one of The Top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry. Sports Illustrated named her one of the “Top 100 Women Athletes of the Century.”

She has been a spokesperson for Ford, appeared in Rolex ads and is the founder of the Lyn St. James Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charitable organization) for the education, training and advancement of women in automotive fields. She has also served on the board of Kettering University, a top engineering school.

Lyn served as President of the Women’s Sports Foundation from 1990 to 1993. In 1994 Lyn was inducted to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame; Working Woman Magazine included her as one of the Top 350 Women Who Changed the World between 1976 and 1996. She’s been summoned to The White House for civic honors by three consecutive Presidents — Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

“Lyn has been an integral part of the racing community for years and followed in the steps of the likes of Elizabeth Junek, Janet Guthrie, and Lella Lombardi who won races, set records and broke barriers,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.  “Lyn earned her stripes driving a wide variety of race cars starting in club racing with her daily driver, a Ford Pinto, and culminated with a successful career in Indy cars. Along the way, she shared long distance drives with some of the best drivers of the day. There is more than a quarter of a century of proof that she is the “real thing” behind the wheel.”

Tickets for the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance can be purchased at https://www.ameliaconcours.org/shop/tickets