Introducing the Red Bull Racing Spy App

MONACO - Red Bull Racing will be bringing a range of F1 knowledge, driver facts and insider information direct to your phone with an app launched to coincide with the most prestigious Grand Prix of the year, Monaco.

If you want to know what’s going on in the Paddock, in the pitlane or on the track, then you need this app. Brought to you by the team’s man on the inside (knowingly dubbed the ‘Red Bull Racing Spy’) the app will satisfy hardcore race fans as well as those seeking insider access by offering everything from race facts to results and parties, from behind the scenes pictures to what’s going on in the Red Bull Energy Station.

The Red Bull Racing Spy, who is already on Twitter (@redbullF1spy), will bring you closer to the real action in Formula One. The app is essential for F1 fans who want more factual information than the average spectator, as well as for those who secretly love a bit of grand prix insider info and behind the scenes access. If the Spy misses something out, you get the chance to quiz him; ask anything F1 related or lay down a challenge and see the responses in the feed.

As well as all the unique features, the Red Bull Racing Spy will also bring you the information that you’d expect from any self-respecting F1 app including lap by lap track positioning, race specific facts and figures, Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship standings and a full race calendar. To download the app, which has been developed by the Red Bull Media House, head to redbullracing.com/app and make sure you get the inside line for the rest of the season.

Changing the Way We See Performance

    -New Innovative Infiniti brand campaign to launch across Europe
    -Infiniti / Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull F1 / partnership brought to life
    -Full TV, Poster and digital campaign

ROLLE, Switzerland - Infiniti is set to launch its first ever global brand campaign in Europe focusing on the revised FX with the help of brand ambassador and Red Bull Racing's two-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

The innovative campaign is designed to differentiate the Infiniti brand by using the stylish FX with a new promotional line of "Performance isn't black and white ... it's purple." The message concentrates on human emotion as seen through the eyes of Sebastian Vettel showing that performance is not simply about numbers and statistics.

Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Infiniti Marketing and Communication Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, says: "Infiniti has a strong point of view on what is performance and how it should be delivered. Using the best pilot in the world Sebastian Vettel to illustrate this shows how serious we are in our ambitions to develop the brand."

The creative platform was developed by TBWA\G1 in Paris and European Creative Director Alasdhair MacGregor Hastie adds: "By showing how emotion is more important than cold science, we have given Infiniti its own performance positioning."

From May 24, the advertising campaign is being brought to life across Europe with a 60 second TV commercial followed by activities on poster, digital and social media platforms.

Supporting the TV campaign will also be a unique poster campaign containing 20 stunning works of art from five different artists from all around the globe. The artists were briefed to find an innovative and truly Infiniti way of representing things such as 4 Wheel Active Steering, V8 Power, Sport Brakes, and Continuous Damping Control. Each image, one for each F1 race, will convey the same overall message about how Infiniti sees performance ... not Black and White but Purple.

Infiniti to Expand its Sales Network in Europe

ROLLE, Switzerland - Infiniti has announced its intention to dramatically increase its network coverage in Europe in line with a fast growing product portfolio, which will include smaller engines and additional models, and a strategy to quickly raise awareness through a new multi-media brand campaign and ongoing partnership with Red Bull Racing.

New centers have been recently opened in France, Spain and Luxembourg and others are in plan in the key European markets. In Italy too the company's goal is to increase the current network, targeting where Infiniti is not currently represented but which show high potential for the brand.

Infiniti announced recently its intention to reach a 10% share of the global luxury car market by 2016 and is already preparing the ground for growth. The company recently launched its first hybrid petrol electric vehicle and, through a partnership with Mercedes-Benz, is now engineering four cylinder diesel and petrol engines to be launched in Italy next year. Beyond this, there are upgrades to existing models and entry into a new area of the market for Infiniti: the compact luxury segment with an innovative design influenced by the recent ETHEREA concept car and based on the latest small car platform from the Daimler group. By the end of 2016, Infiniti aims to be present in nearly all major segments of the luxury car market and with powertrains tuned for European needs.

Infiniti is also working towards a more environmentally friendly future. The Infiniti M Hybrid is not only the world's fastest accelerating full-hybrid, it is also amazingly fuel efficient for a car of its size and performance. At the recent Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti showed an electrifying new take on the sports car with the Emerg-e concept car. And within two years, the brand will bring to market what could be the world's first compact luxury zero emissions sedan.

In parallel, Infiniti recently launched a new Pan-European television campaign - a first for the brand in Europe. Furthermore, it is developing its partnership with the winning Red Bull Racing team to include more prominent branding and exchange of technical expertise. Plus Infiniti's Global Brand Ambassador, the Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, has put his name to the FX Vettel Version, the Infiniti's flagship, to be produced in 200 units only and with first deliveries planned for the beginning of 2013. Already Infiniti can see its awareness growing across Europe as a result.

Since its European launch in 2008, Infiniti has opened a new dealership every two weeks somewhere in the region and has entered 20 markets. Italy was one of the very first to launch. Infiniti has so far operated here with the support of Fassina S.p.A., a reliable partner that strongly contributed to the brand's performance luxury positioning and to a successful launch in Italy. Over this period, Fassina completed the start up phase, opening five centers in Milan, Rome, Padua, Bologna, Florence. As intended from the very beginning, Infiniti Europe is now ready to welcome new partners to join the brand growth.

Recognizing the strong contribution of Fassina S.p.A. over the past years, Infiniti will continue to work closely with this strategic partner: from 2012, the Milan based Fassina company will focus on the Northern Italy car market, while new partners will join the expanding Infiniti dealer network elsewhere in the country.

"Tony and Ado Fassina supported the establishment of Infiniti brand in Italy with great passion and dedication, and I thank them for that and for the valuable support they will continue to give to Infiniti in this crucial growth phase. Italy has proved to be a key market for Infiniti and has the potential to deliver more. We're keen to open our business to new players operating in luxury sectors," commented Infiniti Europe and Middle East Vice President, Bernard Loire.

Infiniti is investigating the best options in terms of new partners for opening additional sites. A solid experience in the luxury car market and a strong commitment to deliver the high standards of Infiniti in terms of welcoming hospitality and attentive customer care will be key factors in the selection and appointment of new partners.

Aware of the importance of the Italian market for the growth of the brand in Western Europe, Infiniti will also reinforce its sales organization for this strategic market with new appointments. More news on this will be announced shortly.

About Infiniti
Infiniti reflects its brand promise "Inspired Performance" with a model line-up of sedans, coupés, SUVs and crossovers featuring exhilarating performance, emotive design and cutting edge technology. Infiniti continues to launch across the globe through a dedicated network of Infiniti Centers that share a commitment to exceptional hospitality throughout the entire period of ownership. For more information, see www.infiniti.com.

CEO Carlos Ghosn discusses reasons for the relocation to Hong Kong

Q1. Why locate Infiniti in Hong Kong?

CEO: Infiniti is going to be one of the main pillars of growth during Power 88. Our intention is to bring Infiniti towards 10% of all market share in the luxury market. We're today around 3% so we have tremendous growth to bring and to organize. For this, we need to focus on Infiniti and we need to make sure that the people who work for Infiniti are, in a certain way, one team, in one location and absolutely conscious of what they have to do and be very well coordinated.

So, we thought we need to bring the team together-that's what we're doing-and, second, in a certain way, detach them from the big brother that is Nissan, which fortunately is growing a lot.  And we need to bring them near a market which is a very important market for Infiniti, so we decided to bring them to Hong Kong.

Why? Because Hong Kong is the door to China. It's also a place where you can easily connect with the southeast of Asia, so that's why we said let's get out of Tokyo, let's go to Hong Kong, put the whole team together so we can reinforce the identity of the brand and the people working for the brand and, particularly, be very near and interacting with the main promising market for Infiniti, which is China and, particularly, in a place which has something specific: As you know, the Hong Kong market is the market with the highest percentage of luxury cars in the world. Half of the cars sold here are luxury.

Q2. As well as the move to HK, Infiniti is also internationalizing production with the JX being built in the U.S. and plans to make cars in China and Europe. What will be the impact of a truly global Infiniti?

CEO: To pursue the 10% market share for Infiniti, this means we're going to move from something around 150,000 cars sold last year to something around 500,000 within the next four to five years.

In order to do that, it's very difficult to build all those cars in Japan. We're already taking a huge risk with the currency - the yen being extremely strong, compared to the renminbi, extremely strong compared to the dollar, extremely strong compared to the euro. I don't think we have a chance to be successful with the Infiniti brand if we are dependent on one currency in terms of cost of production. So the expansion of the brand in terms of production is going to incorporate capacity in the United States, incorporate capacity in China and incorporate capacity in Europe.

It cannot be understood that we are taking Infiniti away from Japan. Not at all. Tochigi is going to continue to be a plant for Infiniti and a very important plant for Infiniti.

We just want to make sure that, particularly facing our German competitors, that we have a footprint in terms of production, which is not very far from theirs. They produce in Europe, we produce in Japan. They produce in China, then we produce in China. They produce in the United States, then we are going to produce in the United States so we can be much more competitive and not bear the problems and the weight of having a very strong currency weighing on the development of the brand.

Q3. Finally, overall auto sales growth in China has steadied recently from the stellar growth of previous years. What's your outlook?

CEO: I think the level of growth in the Chinese market is very reasonable today. We're still considering that 5 to 6% growth for passenger cars this year is in the very center of forecasts.

Let's not forget that we're talking about a huge market so 6% or 7% growth in a total market of more than 17 million - we're talking about an additional one million cars. So it's not something which is very small.

We, frankly, are very comfortable with a 5% or 6% increase in the market because it allows us to do a much better job in terms of growing our presence and, at the same time, cultivating a great customer experience at the level of the retail network, increasing capacity of production where we can do it in a way which is very cost effective, very investment effective and with extreme care in terms of quality and reliability.

So, frankly, I would say that if we can continue on the trend of 5 to 6% increase, we'll be extremely happy. But I don't think it's going to happen. I think the growth is going to continue to be higher than this. We've met a lot of people who are knowledgeable about the Chinese market. They're more on a trend of 8% growth for the next five years. I'm not worried about China.

Eyeing Expansion, Infiniti Opens Hong Kong Global Headquarters

The relocation, almost 3,000 km from Nissan's Yokohama headquarters, heralds Infiniti's expansion plans with China a key tenet.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, opening the Infiniti HQ, said Hong Kong is an ideal base for continued growth in the world's largest auto market.

"Why? Because Hong Kong is the door to China," Ghosn said. "It's also a place where you can easily connect with the southeast of Asia, so that's why we said let's get out of Tokyo, let's go to Hong Kong, put the whole team together so we can reinforce the identity of the brand and the people working for the brand and be very near, and interacting with, the main promising market for Infiniti, which is China."

Infiniti unveiled a long-wheel-base version of the flagship M sedan at the Beijing auto show in April, and also revealed plans for local production of additional models in China.

China, the brand's second largest market, will be home to a global expansion that includes Tennessee production of the JX crossover and, from 2014, European-built Infinitis in partnership with Magna Steyr.

"To pursue the 10% market share for Infiniti, this means we're going to move from something around 150,000 cars sold last year to something around 500,000 within the next four to five years," Ghosn said. "In order to do that, it's very difficult to build all those cars in Japan."

Just as important for customers in Hong Kong, Infiniti's corporate arrival will shortly be followed by a first dealership.

Donald M.T. Yip, CEO of Dah Chong Hong Holdings, whose firm sells Nissan cars in Hong Kong, says he expects great things from Infiniti as the brand goes head-to-head with global rivals.

"In Hong Kong, luxury car sales are almost 50% of the car sales today," said Yip. "So when Infiniti comes to Hong Kong, I think it's a very good time and will probably gives us some excitement in terms of sales. We can do that with the help of Infiniti."

Infiniti aims for 500,000 deliveries annually by 2016, making higher sales and share in China crucial to paving a global highway ahead.

Infiniti Helps Charities Score Big With $1,000,000 in College Basketball Sponsorship Related Donations

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Infiniti capped another winning year of support for NCAA Division I men's basketball, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and various coaches' charities with a check presentation ceremony at Infiniti Americas Headquarters - part of more than $1,000,000 donated during the 2011 - 2012 season.  The event was emceed by ESPN sports analyst Doug Gottlieb.

Ohio State University men's basketball coach Thad Matta received a $100,000 check for his charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, for winning the annual "Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge."  Coach Matta, with support from his Ohio State Buckeye fans, bested 47 other NABC NCAA Division I men's basketball coaches in the annual competition.  Fan participation determined the ultimate winner by voting online over an eight-week period.  The other 47 coaches' designated charities received $5,000 each from Infiniti, for a total donation of $335,000 for the event.  Receiving the $100,000 check from Infiniti and Matta was Dee Anders, CEO and executive director, RMHC of Central Ohio.

In addition, Saint Joseph's University men's basketball coach Phil Martelli, Chair of the Coaches vs. Cancer Council, received Infiniti's donation of $700,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the NABC.  The total amount, a significant increase from previous years, was a direct result of fan participation in the Infiniti sponsored online "Round by Round" bracket game during the NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship.  Joining Martelli for the award were representatives of the American Cancer Society and NABC.

"Infiniti congratulates Coach Matta for an amazing run in the tournament, including an appearance in the Men's Final Four, and for his ongoing support of local Ohio charities," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.  "We're also proud to have Coach Martelli and representatives from the NABC and the American Cancer Society here today to receive the Coaches vs. Cancer award.  The real winners are the patients who benefit from the remarkable services and support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, the American Cancer Society and all the other designated organizations."

"I am absolutely thrilled that this money will help the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.  Thanks to the financial support of Infiniti and the votes of Buckeye Nation, we will be able to help the families of sick children feel comforted in their time of need," said Matta.

"Infiniti and our NABC coaches were a championship team raising a tremendous amount of money and giving back to so many deserving charities.  The donation to Coaches vs. Cancer is breathtaking and will allow the program to grow in awareness," said Martelli.  "On behalf of all of the groups that have been so positively impacted by the Infiniti Coaches' Challenge and Round by Round bracket game, thank you!  You have made a huge difference."

About Infiniti
Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, Infiniti M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, the QX full-size SUV and the all-new Infiniti JX luxury crossover.  More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com .

About NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.  Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. 

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas.  Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes.

The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio
When a child is hospitalized, the healing power of having family nearby is beyond measure. It is this heartfelt purpose that both drives and defines the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. The Columbus Ronald McDonald House is located directly across the street from Nationwide Children's Hospital and serves the needs of families with seriously ill children receiving treatment in the hospital. Open 365 days a year, the Ronald McDonald House offers comfortable bedrooms with private baths, continuing care suites for recovering transplant patients, fully equipped kitchens and dining areas, play rooms, laundry facilities, a meditation room, exercise room and informal gathering areas. It is a home-away-from-home for families in their greatest time of need. From the visionary beginnings of the first Ronald McDonald House on 18th street, to the House at 711 Livingston Ave, RMHC has grown with the Columbus community and its needs. The House has the capacity to be a home-away-from-home for eighty families every night, making it the second largest Ronald McDonald House in the U.S. Each year, RMHC provides 20,000 nights at the House for over 3,000 families. www.RMHC-CentralOhio.org

About Coaches vs. Cancer
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.  The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.  Since 1993, the initiative has raised more than $80 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research, provide up-to-date cancer literacy, advocate for public health policies and deliver services to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.  To learn more, visit coachesvscancer.org

Nissan Begins Construction of New Facility to Manufacture Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz Engines in Tennessee

Senior Vice President Research & Development, Nissan Americas Carla Bailo and Vice President Production Engineering and Component Facilities Mark Swenson joined local officials to mark the start of construction on this significant project.

"Today, we begin an exciting new chapter for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and our continued investment in the United States," Swenson said. "Today's groundbreaking marks the latest move in our collaboration with Daimler to localize production capacity and enhance our competitiveness in the global market."

Production of the new engines will begin in 2014 with installed capacity of 250,000 units per year. At maximum capacity, the new facility is expected to create up to 400 jobs and will be the first location Mercedes-Benz manufactures engines in the North America Free Trade region. The Tennessee plant's strategic location will ensure a direct supply of engines for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, to be built at Daimler's vehicle plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (as of 2014).

Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance first announced their strategic collaboration in April 2010 and are extending their reach into the United States as part of both companies' growth strategy. The companies are also moving forward with a vehicle platform sharing initiative between Infiniti and Mercedes, and development of zero-emission vehicles. The decision to begin jointly producing engines in the U.S. marks the two organizations' collaborative effort's largest venture outside of Europe.

About Decherd
Nissan began powertrain assembly in Decherd in 1997. Today, it manufactures 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines for the complete lineup of U.S.-produced Nissan and Infiniti vehicles. The plant also houses crankshaft forging and cylinder block casting operations. In 2011, Decherd produced more than 580,000 engines on a covered area of more than 1.2 million square feet.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.