COSTA MESA, Calif. — NADAguides.com continued its back-and-forth swing between domestic and foreign nameplates when picking its latest Car of the Month.

After choosing a domestic model in July, site officials went with a foreign unit for August, tapping the 2011 Infiniti M56. They believe this vehicle steps into the M series lineup with "style," replacing the M35 and M45's typical sedan exterior with luxurious curves.

Officials highlighted the 2011 Infiniti M56 has a standard 5.6-liter, 32-valve V8 engine that returns 16/25 MPG for the RWD and 16/23 MPG for the AWD option. They indicated the V8 engine has 420 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, which they think is an advantage over some of its competitors.

"Infiniti's Variable Valve Event & Lift (VVEL) technology keeps the valve lift and timing tuned up continually, resulting in a faster engine response with better fuel economy," NADAguides.com explained.

Another technological feature about the vehicle's powertrain the site mentioned was Adaptive Shift Control — a system that uses a learning algorithm to adjust the automatic shifting according to the owner's driving style.

Moreover, the site pointed out the Infiniti Drive Mode Selector and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive features can provide the driver with better handling, enhanced traction and better wheel response performance in all types of driving conditions

Also Distance Control Technology, which NADAguides.com believes is the first of its kind, can work hand in hand with the Intelligent Cruise Control function to slow or accelerate automatically in order to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

"This newest member of the Infiniti M series really steps up to contenders in the luxury segment with key safety and technology features — a key reason the M56 was selected as our Car of the Month," stated Don Christy Jr., president of NADAguides.com.

"BMW and Lexus have some sturdy competition on their hands," Christy added.

More reasons why Christy thinks those other manufacturers need to take notice of what this Infiniti model has to offer also includes plenty of interior amenities.

The site contends the newly designed leather and sleek Japanese Ash wood trim are very appealing while 10-way power and climate controlled front seats can provide comfort on brisk winter mornings or hot summer afternoons.

NADAguides.com also noticed the Infiniti M56 has a new touch-screen and voice-activated Hard Drive Navigation System. This navigation system can offer a high resolution screen with Birdview perspective control and 3-D graphics, Real-Time Traffic and Nav Weather through XM, and Lane Guidance which can help the driver navigate difficult junctions.

"Infiniti was also strategic in placing the navigation screen at the top of the dashboard, allowing the driver to simply glance slightly to the right to check the screen, barely taking their eyes off the road," site officials insisted.

The Infiniti M56 also is equipped with a 16-speaker Bose Studio Surround sound system that can support 5.1 digital surround sound, iPhone, iPod, Bluetooth-enabled devices and USB memory sticks.

"No matter the form of media, Infiniti's Bose system has it covered," NADAguides.com declared.

The site noted the M56 starts at $57,550 for the base model and goes up to $60,050 for the M56 AWD.

"The 2011 Infiniti M56 redefined the M series with advanced driving technologies, improved fuel economy and a body style design that is sure to make heads turn," site officials concluded.