Straightline Blog:

You've seen the computerized pics Infiniti released at the official "virtual" debut of the redesigned 2011 Infiniti M last month at Pebble Beach. But today we spent some time on public roads with an actual rear-drive 2011 Infiniti M56 and an all-wheel-drive 2011 Infiniti M37x.

We can't tell you how these midsize luxury sedans drive or give you detail specs on them today. But browse through the photos and you'll get a feel for how they look on the road and some of the features they have.

For example, the M56, which gets a 5.6-liter V8 making over 400 hp, is available with a sport package, and our particular M56 Sport wore 20-inch wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires. Navigation system graphics appear to be sharper as well, and the interiors look a little less hard-edge than the current generation.

Although we drove the AWD M37x, there will be certainly be a rear-drive version that slots below that. Look for about 325 hp from its 3.7-liter V6. And expect a 7-speed automatic transmission to be standard on all flavors of the 2011 Infiniti M.

More photos after the jump. Note that the badges are covered on these pre-production cars. The M56 Sport is black with a light interior. The M37x is dark gray with a dark interior.