Our inventory of used Infinity autos:
| Infinity G20 |
Infinity G35 |
Infinity I35 |
Infinity M35 |
| Infinity M45 |
Infinity Q45 |
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| G20 |
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| G35 |
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| I35 |
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| M35 |
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| M45 |
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| Q45 |
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About Infinity:
Infiniti is a luxury brand of Japanese automaker
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. It serves as Nissan's luxury brand in the American,
Canadian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, South Korean and Taiwanese markets. Nissan
also has plans to release Infiniti into many European markets (Russia & Ukraine
in 2007, United Kingdom in 2008, China (10 dealerships by 2007), as well as
in Japan sometime after 2008.
All current Infiniti coupes, sedans and crossovers are based on the Nissan FM
platform. The center of the engine is placed behind the front wheels. This
placement makes weight distribution more even, which is intended to improve
braking, acceleration, and handling. It also reduces the polar moment of
inertia. The only exception is the QX56 full-size SUV, which rides on the Nissan
F-Alpha platform.
The Infiniti brand was introduced in the United States in 1989. Its purpose back
then, as it is now, was to create and sell premium vehicles in America that
wouldn't have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image. Not by
coincidence, Infiniti was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota
and Honda's luxury brands, Lexus and Acura respectively, were introduced in the
U.S. Initially, the lack of brand recognition in the U.S. and the fact that the
Infiniti models were not much more than their Nissan siblings with a different
nameplate, proved to be overwhelming. The brand's sales were disappointing, a
fact many attribute to some of Infiniti's poorly received advertising at the
time. The company's initial campaign aimed to bring about brand awareness with
Zen-influenced spots that focused on nature. However, the ads didn't show the
actual cars, and many believe this omission did no favors for a company that was
hoping to have buyers recognize and clamor for its vehicles. Better advertising
and the introduction of award-winning models eventually made Infiniti a
contender in the luxury vehicle segment of the American market. Since 1989,
sales have consistently grown. The company's logo is inspired by Mt Fuji, a
volcano in its home country of Japan.
Infiniti began to take part of the luxury market mostly thanks to its popular
Q45. The vehicle included a class leading (at the time) 278 hp (207 kW) V8
engine, four wheel steering, the first active suspension system offered on a
motor vehicle, and numerous interior luxury appointments. These made it
competitive against the German imports like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which
by the time of Infiniti's release had overtaken Cadillac and Lincoln in
dominating the luxury segment of the American market.
Launched alongside the Q45 sedan in 1990, the 2-door M30 coupe was able to hold
steady but relatively weak sales during its three production years. The M30 was
basically an "Americanized" version of the Japanese Nissan Leopard F31, built
mainly to compete with the Acura Legend coupe. As stated above, the M30 could
only muster out relatively weak sales during its production life ranging from
1990 to 1992. Unlike the Nissan Leopard, the M30 was available with only one
engine choice; the 162 horsepower Nissan VG30E "V6 3000", and one transmission,
the Nissan RE4R01A 4-speed automatic with electronic overdrive. This small
amount of power was not enough to propel the rear-wheel drive, 3333 lb. M30 fast
enough. Whilst the Q45 sold very well, the M30 sold rather slowly, but was able
to fend off the Acura Legend well. Although the M30 did not exactly appeal much
to the American market due to its 80s-like styling and underpowered engine, it
easily excelled past its competitors in terms of luxury, reliability, and
overall comfort. In 1991, a convertible M30 joined the lineup, but its life was
rather short-lived. Sadly, in 1992, only two years after being introduced to the
American market, Infiniti was forced to discontinue the M30 after experiencing
lackluster sales. Today, although considered the rarest Infiniti ever produced,
some knowledgably enthusiasts refer to the M30 as the model that, although faded
away, tried its best to make Infiniti happy.
The third vehicle in Infiniti's lineup was the entry-level G20, based on the
Nissan Primera, which debuted in 1991.
In 1997, Infiniti released the QX4, a modified and more luxurious version of the
Nissan Pathfinder, making Infiniti the first maker (apart from SUV specialists,
Jeep and Land Rover) to offer a mid-sized luxury SUV - predating the release of
the Lexus RX 300, Acura MDX and the Mercedes-Benz ML320. Like a traditional SUV,
it was based on a truck platform, which gave it a competitive edge against the
aforementioned competitors for its off-roading abilities.
By the late 1990s, however, Infiniti was consistently behind Lexus and Acura, in
sales due to Nissan's struggling financial situation. The Q45 had retreated
considerably from its focused, taut rendition of an executive sedan, having
become a barely recognizable, ponderously-handling sedan that earned the
nickname "The Japanese Lincoln." In 1999, Infiniti reintroduced the G20, a
compact sporty sedan whose production was halted for 1997 and 1998. The G20 was
marketed as a competitor to European luxury sport coupes such as the BMW
3-series but, with an underpowered four cylinder engine and compact size, it
fell short. Also at dealers the G20 was marketed primarily to the wrong
demographic middle-aged professional women, and as such was not as popular new
as its actual main competition, the similarly-priced Acura Integra. Plus with
dealership marketing to Infiniti's other offerings, the Maxima-based I30 and the
jellybean-shaped J30 never garnered large followings, and the company, bereft of
an image or a following, floundered.
By 2000, Infiniti was facing extinction. The company rededicated itself to
developing a dynamic and powerful line-up of sporty luxury cars. Car and Driver
reported that Infiniti executives invited members of the motoring press to a
meeting where they "swore never again to take their eyes off BMW." Although this
effort began with a completely redesigned Q45 flagship for the 2002 model year,
it was the G35 that turned sales around for Infiniti in 2003. A sports sedan far
exceeding the capabilities of its Nissan Primera-based predecessor (the G20),
the Nissan Skyline-based G35 became an instant hit, named Motor Trend Car of the
Year in 2003. The release of the sport-tuned FX35/45 crossover that same year
piggybacked on the G35's success. The FX used the same components under the skin
as the G35 sport coupe and was designed for American tastes. It combined
sports-car handling and performance with station wagon-like versatility and
all-weather capability. After a few years, a number of manufacturers began
making similarly-styled vehicles, so Infiniti reclassified the FX as a Crossover
utility vehicle (CUV). In 2004, Infiniti added an all-wheel drive version of the
G35 sports sedan in an effort to sway buyers from similar all-wheel drive sports
sedans from competitors Audi and BMW.
In recent times, Infiniti's sales and reputation continue to increase
impressively as Carlos Ghosn follows through on his vision to break Infiniti
away from its Nissan roots. The G35 series helped re-define Infiniti as the
"Japanese BMW", an image it continues to cultivate. This reputation has been
enhanced by the FX35/FX45 SUV, and the redesigned M35/M45 for the 2006 model
year. The M35/M45 has already garnered impressive acclaim from the automotive
press, winning an eight-car comparison test in Car and Driver and also named the
best luxury sedan in Consumer Reports. The M45 model featured the same engine as
the flagship Q45, and its success prompted Infiniti to remove the Q45 from its
lineup for the first time ever in 2007, at which time the M45 became the
flagship model.
For the 2007 model year a redesigned version of the G35 sedan was introduced, to
be followed in 2008 by a new version of the company's G coupe which will be
called the G37. The coupe was first unveiled at the New York International Auto
Show. Also to be released in 2008 is the new EX35 compact crossover, which will
be Infiniti's entrance into the compact luxury crossover market. The EX will
share the G35's 3.5 liter, 306 hp (228 kW), V6 engine. Competitors will be the
BMX X3, Land Rover LR2, and Acura RDX.
In 2006, it was announced that the Infiniti range would be imported to the UK.
Sales are set to begin during the later part of 2008.
About Infinity cars: Infiniti's model name designation includes one letter for
coupes and sedans (two
letters for SUVs) and a number reflecting engine displacement. For example, the
QX56 is an SUV featuring a 5.6 L engine. An exception to this was the QX4 SUV,
which featured a 3.3 L engine (1997-2000) and later a 3.5 L engine (2001-2003).
An 'x' following the engine displacement of Infiniti sedans denotes an all wheel
drive model (e.g. Infiniti G35x).
Current models
Infiniti G35 (sedan, and AWD sedan)
Infiniti G37 (coupe)
Infiniti M (M35/M35x and M45 variations)
Infiniti EX35
Infiniti FX (FX35 and FX45 variations)
Infiniti QX56
Past models
Infiniti M30
Infiniti G20
Infiniti J30
Infiniti I (I30, 1996-2001; I35, 2002-2004)
Infiniti QX4
Infiniti Q45 |