Infiniti announces two new M-based models for Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
For the past two years, Infiniti has been growing its presence in Pebble Beach. The week-long auto extravaganza in August plays host to a number of automaker events, but recently, Infiniti has been taking center stage. For 2010, Nissan's premium channel isn't letting up, bringing two M-based models to the party in Pebble, both of which are slated for production.

We don't have specifics on either model, but in addition to the image above, our sources within Infiniti tell us that the new coupe variants will be extensions of its current lineup, lending credence to recent rumors of an M coupe.

More interestingly, we've been told that both models will "extend Infiniti into an area we haven't been before" and that one of those models will be more "performance oriented." If that means we can expect some kind of powertrain similar to the Essence Concept that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last year – a twin-turbo, direct injected V6 putting out over 450 horsepower – consider our interest incredibly piqued.

Both models are set to go on sale in October or November of this year, with the M35 Hybrid arriving sometime toward the end of 2011. - autoblog.com

Infiniti officials told an a group of journalists yesterday that it would use the annual Pebble Beach weekend to introduce two new models that would go on sale this fall. Judging from the sketches, one of them is likely to be an M coupe similar to the one we showed you last week.

And the other? Well, we would bet on a production version of the Essence show car. It's been championed by plenty of top executives at the company and the announcement said only one of these cars would be a "volume seller." That leaves the door open for a halo car like the Essence and its ultra-expensive hybrid drivetrain.

The other two products in the pipeline haven't been confirmed, but Poore hints broadly that a pair of cars smaller than the current Infiniti G37 sedans are coming to the Infiniti display at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August. And though German automakers like Mercedes and BMW have had less than stellar track records with hatchbacks, he suggests these smaller cars will be hatches--but perhaps with more sedan-like styling cues, like the crop of concepts that include vehicles like the upcoming Audi A7.

One is likely to be the Infiniti electric vehicle based on the Project Better Place electric vehicle, which also has been shown as the Renault Fluence. Another could be an Infiniti version of the new 2011 Nissan Leaf, which is open for orders and will see its first owners take possession of their gas-free cars late this year.

A more remote possibility is an Infiniti version of the next Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Renault-Nissan recently inked an agreement with Daimler AG to share powertrains and other technology in small cars, which will bring Infiniti a new range of four-cylinder engines in the near future. The partnership with the parent company of Mercedes-Benz eventually will grow beyond powertrains and will likely include some future joint product ventures. Poore sees Infiniti as a big beneficiary of the Daimler deal--with sales of about 80,000 vehicles a year in the U.S., his brand doesn't have the economy of scale today to add big branches to its family tree. The Daimler link, he says, could be the catalyst for even more additions to the Infiniti lineup.

What the two new cars probably won't be, are an Infiniti M Coupe and convertible. Reports from around the Web suggest such a car is in development, but Poore says he was "surprised" by the illustrations circulating the Internet. Without dismissing them entirely, he suggests the automaker might have more pressing priorities than to build a production version of the 2009 Essence concept coupe.

Update: We have more details on the pair of cars coming to the Pebble Beach Concours. One will be a mass-market vehicle, Poore says, while the other will have a coupelike roofline and will be aimed at performance buyers. Both vehicles are due for release by late fall, he indicates.