Sunday, January 29, 2012
2012 Infiniti FX35 AWD SUV
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Trivia
The mathematical symbol for infinity looks like which character turned on its side?
The number '8'. The Romans sometimes used this symbol to represent 1000, a big number, and this led a mathematician named John Wallis to suggest in 1650 that it should be used as the symbol of infinity. It stuck.
The number '8'. The Romans sometimes used this symbol to represent 1000, a big number, and this led a mathematician named John Wallis to suggest in 1650 that it should be used as the symbol of infinity. It stuck.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Freeport boat restoration duo aims to put SUV motor on water
FREEPORT — A chance encounter in 2009 landed Freeport Boat Outlet owner George “Do Do” Brockman in Pebble Beach, Calif., last August to dine with design executives from the Japanese car maker, Infiniti.
The question before them: How might an 8-cylinder sport utility vehicle engine fit into a classic wooden boat?
The project, Brockman said, is part of a new marketing effort for Infiniti, pairing the company’s QX56 SUV engine with a 1962 Chris-Craft Holiday boat to show the luxury vehicle’s towing power.
While the project is not typical for Brockman, who mostly deals in used boats and racing and restoring stock cars, he and Freeport boat restorer Jim Martin are versatile.
As an 8-year-old, before riding out in a flat-bottomed skiff on Maquoit Bay, Martin said, he solved the problem of a leaking hull by melting candle wax into the seams of the boat.
That kind of problem-solving might come in handy for the restoration project that Martin said still has a lot of questions to be answered — questions that, a year ago, Martin and Brockman had not deeply considered.
Alongside shrink-wrapped boats in Brockman’s yard sits a Busch North stock car he hopes to restore and a 1952 Chris-Craft Riviera boat that Martin has his eye on.
But then the Infiniti project came along.
“It just kind of happened,” said Martin, who regularly does repair work for Brockman’s used boat business.
Brockman said the story has a beginning at his Route 1 boat business.
In 2009, Brockman sold an 18-foot 2004 Celebrity Bowrider to Nate Chapnick, a senior editor for the Atlanta-based luxury magazine “Men’s Book” and a Camden Hills High School graduate.
GEORGE “DO DO” BROCKMAN, 63, left, and Jim Martin, 57, are restoring a 1962 Chris-Craft Holiday in Brockman’s Freeport garage for the Infiniti luxury car makers. The boat will be fitted with an Infiniti engine. Above left, mahogany sawdust and tools of the trade litter a work bench. TROY R. BENNETT / THE TIMES RECORD Chapnick arrived that day — in the pouring rain — in a Lotus streetcar and decided that he would take the boat, Brockman said.
Brockman and Chapnick became friends during that exchange, and on a later visit to Brockman’s boat yard, Chapnick saw the 1952 Riviera boat Martin plans to restore.
In October 2010, Chapnick called Brockman with an idea.
“He said he has a friend with Infiniti USA who is working on a boat project and asked if I was interested,” Brockman said.
Brockman and Martin had a boat in mind. By then, Brockman said, both had driven countless times by the vessel that is now the centerpiece of the project — a boat that they dug out from the snow at Wheels and Deals along Route 302 to show to Infiniti communications director Kyle Bazemore.
At that time, the boat had major weaknesses in the hull and an engine that Martin junked, but the duo saw potential.
“We told him that this is the boat we should use — fancy lines and the fastest hull ever made in wood,” Brockman said.
The hull of that particular boat will need to be rebuilt, Martin said, but the lines of the boat are just right.
“It is easy to come up on plane and it corners well and handles well,” Martin said.
In August, Brockman traveled to Pebble Beach with Chapnick to meet with Infiniti executives and discuss the project now under way.
With most of the hull removed, the 50-year-old boat is now overturned in Brockman’s garage, awaiting new framing, an improved inside hull crafted from marinegrade Sapele plywood, and an outer hull of mahogany.
“We’re making it a more water-tight boat,” Martin said. “Back when it was built, this boat would have to go into the water for two or three days before you could take it out — now, it will be what’s called a dry launch boat.”
But that work is all preparation for the main event: the installation of the 2011 Infiniti SUV engine, which Martin said will raise a lot of interesting questions.
“That engine isn’t going to turn 5,800 RPM as we intend to do in this boat,” Martin said. “The car has a 7-speed transmission that at 70 mph is doing around 1,800 RPM. In a boat, when you put it in forward gear, it’s one speed.”
For the problems of making a modern automotive engine swim, a team of mechanics at Tennessee Technical Center, Nashville, and Nashville State Community College in Tennessee are preparing the engine’s aquatic transformation in a process Martin called “marinization.”
So far, that work has been the only part the project to happen out of state, Martin said.
“We’re trying to keep as much of our outsourcing here in the state of Maine,” Martin said.
Custom interior to match Infiniti’s QX56 will be handled by Andrew Arsenault of Freeport; wood planing will be done by Maschino & Sons Lumber of New Gloucester; the boat will be rolled upright at a facility in Fryeburg; and work on the bell housing and transmission was done by Brackett Machine in Westbrook.
With all of the help, Brockman and Martin said they will still rely most on each other to bring the project to completion.
“If I was going to take on a project like this, I couldn’t do it alone,” Brockman said.
The question before them: How might an 8-cylinder sport utility vehicle engine fit into a classic wooden boat?
The project, Brockman said, is part of a new marketing effort for Infiniti, pairing the company’s QX56 SUV engine with a 1962 Chris-Craft Holiday boat to show the luxury vehicle’s towing power.
While the project is not typical for Brockman, who mostly deals in used boats and racing and restoring stock cars, he and Freeport boat restorer Jim Martin are versatile.
As an 8-year-old, before riding out in a flat-bottomed skiff on Maquoit Bay, Martin said, he solved the problem of a leaking hull by melting candle wax into the seams of the boat.That kind of problem-solving might come in handy for the restoration project that Martin said still has a lot of questions to be answered — questions that, a year ago, Martin and Brockman had not deeply considered.
Alongside shrink-wrapped boats in Brockman’s yard sits a Busch North stock car he hopes to restore and a 1952 Chris-Craft Riviera boat that Martin has his eye on.
But then the Infiniti project came along.
Brockman said the story has a beginning at his Route 1 boat business.
In 2009, Brockman sold an 18-foot 2004 Celebrity Bowrider to Nate Chapnick, a senior editor for the Atlanta-based luxury magazine “Men’s Book” and a Camden Hills High School graduate.
GEORGE “DO DO” BROCKMAN, 63, left, and Jim Martin, 57, are restoring a 1962 Chris-Craft Holiday in Brockman’s Freeport garage for the Infiniti luxury car makers. The boat will be fitted with an Infiniti engine. Above left, mahogany sawdust and tools of the trade litter a work bench. TROY R. BENNETT / THE TIMES RECORD Chapnick arrived that day — in the pouring rain — in a Lotus streetcar and decided that he would take the boat, Brockman said.Brockman and Chapnick became friends during that exchange, and on a later visit to Brockman’s boat yard, Chapnick saw the 1952 Riviera boat Martin plans to restore.
In October 2010, Chapnick called Brockman with an idea.
“He said he has a friend with Infiniti USA who is working on a boat project and asked if I was interested,” Brockman said.
Brockman and Martin had a boat in mind. By then, Brockman said, both had driven countless times by the vessel that is now the centerpiece of the project — a boat that they dug out from the snow at Wheels and Deals along Route 302 to show to Infiniti communications director Kyle Bazemore.
At that time, the boat had major weaknesses in the hull and an engine that Martin junked, but the duo saw potential.
“We told him that this is the boat we should use — fancy lines and the fastest hull ever made in wood,” Brockman said.
The hull of that particular boat will need to be rebuilt, Martin said, but the lines of the boat are just right.
“It is easy to come up on plane and it corners well and handles well,” Martin said.
In August, Brockman traveled to Pebble Beach with Chapnick to meet with Infiniti executives and discuss the project now under way.
With most of the hull removed, the 50-year-old boat is now overturned in Brockman’s garage, awaiting new framing, an improved inside hull crafted from marinegrade Sapele plywood, and an outer hull of mahogany.
“We’re making it a more water-tight boat,” Martin said. “Back when it was built, this boat would have to go into the water for two or three days before you could take it out — now, it will be what’s called a dry launch boat.”
But that work is all preparation for the main event: the installation of the 2011 Infiniti SUV engine, which Martin said will raise a lot of interesting questions.
“That engine isn’t going to turn 5,800 RPM as we intend to do in this boat,” Martin said. “The car has a 7-speed transmission that at 70 mph is doing around 1,800 RPM. In a boat, when you put it in forward gear, it’s one speed.”
For the problems of making a modern automotive engine swim, a team of mechanics at Tennessee Technical Center, Nashville, and Nashville State Community College in Tennessee are preparing the engine’s aquatic transformation in a process Martin called “marinization.”
So far, that work has been the only part the project to happen out of state, Martin said.
“We’re trying to keep as much of our outsourcing here in the state of Maine,” Martin said.
Custom interior to match Infiniti’s QX56 will be handled by Andrew Arsenault of Freeport; wood planing will be done by Maschino & Sons Lumber of New Gloucester; the boat will be rolled upright at a facility in Fryeburg; and work on the bell housing and transmission was done by Brackett Machine in Westbrook.
With all of the help, Brockman and Martin said they will still rely most on each other to bring the project to completion.
“If I was going to take on a project like this, I couldn’t do it alone,” Brockman said.
Friday, January 20, 2012
2012 Infiniti FX35 AWD SUV
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Infiniti looking ahead to Geneva with mid-engined EV sports car concept
The Detroit Auto Show media days are still in full swing, but Infiniti is already looking ahead to the Geneva Motor Show with another teaser of the company's plug-in hybrid electric sports car. Yes, we've seen other sketches of the car (this one) but not of this section, the general rear pillar area. You can click to enlarge the image above for a better view of what could become Prince's favorite concept car. See, it's purple.
The vehicle does not have a name yet, so Infiniti is calling it the "Advanced Sports Car Concept." We do know it's mid-engined, with a battery pack in there to extend the range. Infiniti says the purpose of this concept is, "to explore what might be the next stage in how to deliver a vivid, engaging and sophisticated driving experience from an electrically propelled vehicle." The EV range should be respectable, since Infiniti is promising "zero emission operation in urban situations," which we do hope means more than just a few spare miles in a lithium pack. We'll learn more in Geneva.
Infiniti has also been teasing an all-electric luxury sedan that is supposed to launch in 2014. See what little we officially know about that car here.
The vehicle does not have a name yet, so Infiniti is calling it the "Advanced Sports Car Concept." We do know it's mid-engined, with a battery pack in there to extend the range. Infiniti says the purpose of this concept is, "to explore what might be the next stage in how to deliver a vivid, engaging and sophisticated driving experience from an electrically propelled vehicle." The EV range should be respectable, since Infiniti is promising "zero emission operation in urban situations," which we do hope means more than just a few spare miles in a lithium pack. We'll learn more in Geneva.
Infiniti has also been teasing an all-electric luxury sedan that is supposed to launch in 2014. See what little we officially know about that car here.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Detroit Auto Show: Infiniti Etherea Hybrid Concept
Check out the Infiniti Etherea Hybrid Concept!
http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/01/detroit-auto-show-infiniti-etherea-hybrid-concept/
http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/01/detroit-auto-show-infiniti-etherea-hybrid-concept/
Sunday, January 15, 2012
2012 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD SUV
Friday, January 13, 2012
Review
The experience was great and to the point. Pat and Joe were the two individuals involved with my purchase and they were very thorough and polite. Pat showed me the ins and outs of the vehicle, and Joe did the financial paperwork and explained everything clearly.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Review
Infiniti of Bedford has always outperformed my expectation for a dealership. They have always given me the best quality of service that I expect from a high end dealership.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Review
My service advisor, Chuck, is a true asset to the Infiniti of Bedford organization; his professionalism and aim-to-please attitude are very much appreciated. Presumably, having one's car serviced at the dealership is usually more expensive, however, I always feel it's a good value for the quality of care received.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Review
I liked the sales experience because I finally got what I wanted. I had been thinking about getting an Infiniti automobile for a few years and during the summer clearance event I decided to go for it. So I was an easy sale for Infiniti of Bedford as I was already sold on the vehicle before I arrived on their lot. The people at Infiniti of Bedford were very friendly and helpful.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Review
I found the salesman Ed Johnson to be the easiest car salesperson I have ever worked with-a real pro.
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