Vettel Receives First FX Vettel Edition for Birthday

Sebastian Vettel turns 26 on July 3, and as an early birthday present on July 2, Infiniti gave Vettel the first InfinitiInfinitiJapan, 1989 > present31 models
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FX Vettel EditionInfiniti FX Sebastian VettelJapan, 2011 > present5 photos
to come off the line. The sport SUVs will be limited to 150 units. Fifty of the cars each have been allocated for Western Europe, the Middle East and Russia. It will not be sold anywhere else.

The Vettel Edition gets unique aerodynamic and technical changes to improve performance over the conventional FX. Power comes from a 5.0-liter V8 tuned to 414hp and 384lb-ft of torque, compared to 385hp and 369lb-ft of torque in the standard carInfiniti FX50 S PremiumJapan, 2012 > present1 photo
, and acceleration to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds. The top speed is limited to 250km/h. It is only available with a seven-speed automatic with all-wheel drive.

The changes include a carbon fiber front wing, carbon fiber side skirts and a 20mm lower ride height. It rides on 21in BBS wheels that weigh 3.5kg (7.7lb) less than the standard wheels.

Inside, the cars get a carbon fiber center console, and the seats are covered in Alcantara. The A-pillar, B-pillar and headliner are all also Alcantara.

At the moment, the FX Vettel Edition is the most powerful car that Infiniti sells.

It originally debuted at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed being driven by Vettel up the hill climb.

The cars are only available in Moonlight White for €120,000. The only available option is a carbon fiber rear spoiler.

Buyers also get invitations to high performance driver training, a session in an F1 simulator and passenger rides in a three-seat F1 car. When people order a Vettel Edition, they can follow the production from an iOS app.

"I'm proud to now own the Infiniti that I helped design. It has great performance, responsive handling and fits my daily life perfectly. The FX Vettel Edition is great fun to drive," said Vettel.

Each car takes 320 man-hours to build by 25 craftsmen. The cars are taken off the regular assembly line and modified.