Infiniti Q45

The Infiniti Q45 is a fullsize luxury car from Nissan's Infiniti marque. It is a rear wheel drive luxury sedan powered by a V8 engine. The original Infiniti Q45 was based on the Japanese-market Nissan President (the flagship of the entire Nissan lineup at the time), but later generations were based on the lower-end Nissan Cima. The Q45 competes most directly with the Acura RL, Lexus LS, Cadillac DTS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

1990

The first Q45 came to market in 1989 as 1990 model. Car magazines and reviewers were impressed by the Q45's performance such as a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.7 seconds, and its high-output 4.5 L V8 engine rated at 278 hp and 292 ft·lbf of torque. At the time, its targeted competitors such as the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ and Cadillac Seville had much bigger engines with horsepower ratings in the lower 200 hp range and 0-60 mph times at an average of 9-10 seconds. All Q45 include a VLSD, whereas the LS never did.

One can arguably say that the introduction of luxury performance sedans such as the Q45 and its main competitor, the Lexus LS, had triggered the luxury car market into realizing that fullsize, high-priced luxury sedans should provide better-than-average performance as well as provide luxurious amenities. The short run 1993 included standard first gear start.

Styling wise, the Q45 was a distinctive automobile. Infiniti attempted to redefine the modern luxury sedan by offering a car with rather spartan amenities such as firm leather seats instead of cushy couch-like seats and no chrome or woodgrain interior trim. The Q45's grille also shied buyers away with its unusual appearance. A more conventional appearance (including a more conservative grille, woodgrain/chrome interior trim and cushy seats), more sedated performance figures, slower 17:1 steering (except on the Q45t, which retained the original 15.1:1 ratio), and a softer suspension were all added in 1994 to make it a more status-quo luxury sedan. Thicker glass, keyless remote, auto-dim rearview mirror, dipping side view mirrors, an improved transmission heat exchanger and external ATF filter, new oval intake ports and revised disc injectors, lower ratio 1st and 2nd gears, fog lights, and metal backed camshaft timing chain guides were added in 1994.