Infiniti luxury vehicles are ubiquitous on American roads these days. Each one of them harkens back to the original Infiniti sedan, launched in 1989. Trade wars during the 1980s between the United States and Japan helped launch new
The United States limited the number of Japanese vehicles allowed into the country, and the Japanese automakers figured the best way to maximize their profit on fewer cars was to make those exported cars more expensive. Thus, Honda launched Acura, Toyota launched
The first Infiniti offering was the full-sized, rear-wheel-drive Q45 sedan.
What was so unique about the Infiniti Q45?
The original Q45 1990 model was released in 1989. It was similar to the Nissan President, which was sold in Japan, and it featured a V8 engine that produced 278 hp. It went from zero to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, which was quite peppy at the time.
One of the most interesting features of the Q45 was the unique four-wheel steering system, which was adopted from Nissan’s 300ZX sports car.
described the Q45’s optional adaptive suspension system as “very complex, with a hydraulic pump on the engine and actuators at each wheel.” This suspension was intended to keep the car controlled through turns, with sporty drivability, all the while providing a luxury ride.
What does Q45 stand for?
The Q designation stood for “Q-car,” which is a term for a car that looks sedate, but performs exceptionally well. The “45” is in reference to the original 4.5 L engine.
, featuring a powerful engine and Nissan’s best attempt at high-end luxury, with the active suspension system and interiors based on German luxury cars. The original base price was $38,000.
Before actually releasing the Q45, Nissan ran a very quirky ad campaign showing beautiful nature scenes and poetic words, but with no cars at all! It was a risk and was meant to drum up interest in the new luxury Nissan offering, but
To make matters worse, once the car was actually released, it was panned for its basic front end with no grille, and a logo sitting on the plain front end like a belt buckle.
While many praised the Q45’s engineering and drivability, the biggest complaint was the stark, boring interior with a cramped rear seating area.
The interior styling was intentionally based on German cars, with a very pared-down look, but it didn’t seem to resonate well with luxury car buyers in America.
summed it up by saying, “The flagship of the Infiniti line, the Q45 sedan boasts a powerful V8 and strong acceleration, though it is too big to be agile. The Q45 was marketed as a sporty alternative to the Lexus LS, but handling wasn't sporty, and the car lacked the spacious rear-seat and rich cabin materials found on direct competitors.”
The Infiniti Q45 was partially redesigned in 1994. It got a grille in front, more chrome trim, and finally some wood accents and warm styling in the interior. In 1997, the Q45 underwent an even bigger redesign, whereby Nissan discontinued the active suspension system, and shrank the engine down to 4.1 liters. However, this didn’t pay off, and starting in 1997, Q45 sales began a downward trend.
In 2002, to try to boost lagging sales, Nissan attempted to bring back the original engineering and
The engine went back up to 4.5 L, and it got a boost of 340 hp and zero to 60 speeds of under six seconds. All this still couldn’t bring the Q45 up above its competitors in sales, and it was discontinued in 2006. In the end, the Q45 just couldn’t manage to compete with Lexus and Acura.
The Q45 is still praised for its unique engineering and longevity, but it just never fully found its niche in the American market.
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