More details on 2011 Infiniti M

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Last night, Infiniti had a 2011 M sedan on hand with more details on the car, which was first unveiled in virtual 3-D last August. The M will come in two major variants, the M37 and M56. The former will carry the smaller G37’s 3.7-liter V-6 with 330 horsepower and 270 pounds-feet of torque — no surprise there — while the M56 will have a 5.6-liter V-8 that makes a massive 420 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines use Infiniti’s seven-speed automatic, with rear- or all-wheel drive. BMW’s new 2011 550i, an M56 competitor, makes 400 hp and 450 pounds-feet of torque from a twin-turbo V-8.

The M goes on sale next spring; prices haven’t yet been announced, but we wouldn’t expect a huge bump over the outgoing M’s mid-$40,000s starting price.

Infiniti spokesman Kyle Bazemore said the M56’s engine shares relatively little with the 5.6-liter V-8 used in the QX56 SUV and other Nissan/Infiniti trucks. Rather, it’s a direct-injection drivetrain more closely related to the 390-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 in the FX50 crossover. Despite the extra power, Infiniti expects gas mileage to be about 10 percent better for the M56 than in the outgoing M45. That could mean a combined 18 or 20 mpg, depending on all- or rear-wheel drive. That’s competitive with other V-8 sedans in this class.

The V-6 M37 will see slight mileage improvements over the outgoing M35, but Bazemore didn’t have exact numbers. We’ll have our up close photos and initial impressions in a separate post. Other highlights and images:

• Infiniti Drive adjusts transmission shift points and accelerator sensitivity to four modes: Standard, Eco, Sport and Snow. Eco mode activates a green-to-yellow gauge light to encourage efficient driving; it also gives “slight pushback” on the gas pedal if it intuits inefficient driving habits.
• Advanced climate control systems reduce intrusion of outside odors
• 18- or 20-inch wheels; available four-piston front brakes with 14-inch discs
• Noise-canceling audio system standard; 16-speaker Bose surround-sound stereo optional
• Available wood trim with silver-powdered accents
• Available Blind Spot Intervention system combines blind spot warning and blind spot prevention systems to move the M back into its lane via selective braking should the driver attempt to change lanes when a car is in a blind spot.
• Trim levels comprise the rear-wheel-drive M37 and M56 and all-wheel-drive M37x and M56x. A Sport Package is available on rear-wheel-drive models.