Auto News 5

It's certainly not the best-looking steed in the Infiniti stable -- that honor goes to the new M sedan -- but the all-new QX56 is every bit as important to Infiniti's fortunes in the American market. After all, in September, Infiniti sold 1460 M sedans and 822 QX56s, but the gap had nearly closed by October, when it found buyers for 1175 M sedans and 1157 QX56s. The QX was in such demand, in fact, that our Four Seasons QX56's arrival was delayed by more than a month, as eager Infiniti dealers scooped up every available QX coming out of the Kyushu, Japan, plant where the Nissan Patrol on which it's based is also built.

When the sticker crowds $100k, one should not have to fret over a wiper stalk hidden behind a steering wheel spoke, poor rear visibility, a gear shift location usurped by cup holders(!), and brake and throttle controls crying out for recalibration. But, goose the gas pedal, release all 510 horses, and these piddling issues immediately fade away. The firm-riding, overpowered, chunky-looking ML nurtured by AMG is the ideal place to weather torrential rain or to race a Porsche Turbo Cayenne for pink slips. The front buckets are the best money can buy, the paddle-shifted transmission knows what you want, and the engine is one of the sweetest V-8s ever created. Coated in a discreet hue, the mightiest ML is one stealth machine that's hard to top.

1. WALTER DE'SILVA (59, Italian)
Head of design, Volkswagen Group
Key cars: Audi R8 and A5, 2009 VW Scirocco and 2012 Jetta