Already in it's 3rd and final generation, the Q45 was soon to be replaced as Infiniti's flagship with the smaller M35 and M45.
Show 2049 | Original Airdate 08-08-01
Want to help keep our weekly Retro Reviews alive? DONATE NOW: mptevents.regfox.com/motorweek
The Infiniti Q45 was waaayyy ahead of it's time. It had a backup camera in a 2002 vehicle. It's sad that this didn't get as much recognition as it's competitors, but it was top notch quality vehicle.
Actually these were in dealers in 2001 to be fair, 2002 was the model year.
Can't believe it's already 20 years passed, this car is still fresh in my memory
It's already 22 1/2 to 23 years. This was revealed in April 2000 and on sale less than a year later.
INFINITI owner since 2005. On my 3rd and final G sedan due to 2013 being the last year of the manual. INFINITI used to have soul.
Q40 came with manual until 2016 I believe!
@@w140chris no manual due to no sport package being available for Q40.
I still have my 2003 6MT 4-door G35. Fun car
@@robertfoster3384 my 05 definitely handled better than the 13 out of the box.
Is that a G37 manual ??
There has to be marketing study on how Infiniti destroyed the Q45 name and their line-up nomenclature. They discontinued the full-size Q45 without a replacement model, but they released an all-new Q50. However, the Q50 wasn't a full-size but rather a replacement for the smaller G37. But they didn't stop there. For a year, they continued to sell the G37 alongside the Q50, but the G37 was re-branded as the Q40. So the full-size Q45 was gone, but there was an all-new Q50, but the the Q50 was meant to replace the G37, but the G37 was still on sale but called the Q40. Some people are still confused to this day.
The Q70 replaced the G37 and the Q50 replaced the G35. The Q70 was last produced in 2018. The Q50 is still available in 3.0 liter with twin turbos.
The Q45 name wasn’t destroyed persay…people just didn’t care. After a short run to 2005 “Q” wasn’t in Infiniti’s naming until 2015. The idea behind that was to reiterate the “essence” of Infiniti amongst all its offerings and further simplify what its cars meant, “Q” for cars. “QX” for SUVs. Plus it rescinded the reflex to compare models with German brands based off their numbers like G versus the C class or M versus the E class, especially since their cars were positioned more cross segment vs purely midsize and purely compact. In essence the Q45 was just a dying name that couldn’t establish itself from jump, and the service of a big Limo eventually replaced with the Q54/Armada, and supplemented by the Q70 long wheel base
@@MBenz1984Q70 is the name change for the M37, their sorta Midsizer. G35-G37-Q50 are all the same segment of car. Early Q50’s even had the 3.7 V6 in them first
@air-headedaviator1805 I thought the Q70 was full sized. At the time auto journalists compared the Q70 to the Lexus LS460. Especially the Q70L.
@@MBenz1984 incorrect, the Q70 was the rebadged Infiniti M, and it was a mid-size, while the subsequent Q70L was a large size. But the confusion you had is totally understandable given how the entire line-up was strangely renamed Q.
The King of Infiniti.. The quintessential.. The OG Q.. in a class of German rivalries.. competing with Japan .. the Q45 was as good as it gets… 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Yea maybe if you’re a food stamp enjoyer with 2k to their name
@@bobbob-lt9zh oh wow sorry too hear that.. but what matters now is that ur able too afford one now.. since they’re all used. congrats ❤️
Newer ones are even better
German cars are junk
The original Q45, first gen, was the bomb.
340hp from a 4.5L may not sound much now. But during those time, an e39 540i 4.4L, E430 4.3L and Lexus GS430 4.3L produces just 282, 275 and 300 horsepower, respectively. What a motor back then!
Agreed. the MB required the 5.5L V8 AMG to generate 349hp. Hecks its own 5.0L V8 only put out 302hp.
Was it really making that power though? That quarter mile time was pretty terrible
@@wavelength1970during that time (early 2000s) nissan have the tendency to over claim their crank hp. Example, sentra se-r spec v, Nissan revised their crank hp claim...twice...
Power wars were solidified when Chrysler cranked 340 out of the Hemi powered LX bodies
@@jacklo325 Real power from that Q45 was probably around 285 hp Toyota and the other brands didn't have to lie about their HP numbers, because their products actually sold
Still looks modern
If Infiniti kept this level of commitment and quality in their products over the years, they may have been the Lexus of today. But it wasn't meant to be.
Yeah, they've basically stopped trying. The Q50 and Q60 don't look like they've been updated for years, and Genesis has leap-frogged over them like...well like they're trying!
Infiniti had a top quality product that they failed to market correctly. Had they been bold in those initial days, they would be at their best today.
umm they did commit and they make fantastic cars!
@allentoyokawa9068 they're now bringing the CVT to Infiniti, which is a huge fail. Also, they offer nothing unique, unlike before. The Q50 has withered on the vine for years without a significant update, the same for the QX80, which saw a minor refresh. Their flagship Q70 was allowed to remain stagnant to the point of eventual irrelevance, leading to it being canceled.
@@texan903and Infiniti dealers can't have any desirable product in stock because of manufacturing issues.
Almost peak Infiniti. The M45 that came next was the absolute best.
They are at their peak now
@@allentoyokawa9068 They are definitely below their peak today
M56 was even better
@@allentoyokawa9068 Oh please! Infiniti's peak was 2009 - 2011. Way past their peak! If anything, Genesis and Mazda have been the spiritual successor to the REAL Infiniti. Infiniti nowadays is trash!
@@philhenderson3516 minus the CX-5 and Mazda 3, yea you are on to something. Although one can say that Infiniti as moved from pure luxury to premium/sport and I think they are getting back on the all following the release of the jx35 which was a complete joke imo and kind of put a bad connotation to the Infiniti but since then they have done their best to revamp and it’s working
This car was sold in Japan as the Nissan Cima
I remember as a kid I loved this car. Didn’t realize it had all of the functions (tech) in it. That’s awesome!
I remember the first time I saw one of these... Same spec as the one in this video. I was blown away. It oozed muscle and refinement. Only later did I learn it was our version of the Japanese Nissan Cima/President.
'02 Q45 is an Infiniti legend performance car.
What
Just kidding
I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen one.
I saw one the week before last.
I see one every day, and the 2002 M45 in teal as well lol
Infiniti's innovations didn't end here, they (and Nissan) would later in 2007, have the 1st, now very common, 360° cameras. They've just fell so far...
Oh yeah, the RearView Monitor was definitely the first of its kind globally. Japan had them much earlier in JDM for production vehicles (like Toyota Soarer), but Nissan made the bold move to offer it before the rest in 2001 outside Japan. I'll never forget learning about this car in 2001 from my dad and then noticing how invisible this car practically was, where it was so rare to see one of them at all, let alone with the Premium Package (added RVM) and little CCD camera box on the trunk lid. The Around View Monitor was first like said in 2007, once everyone else started playing catchup and adding their own backup camera systems in the mid-late 2000s)
Had a q45 s this generation and wow 🤩 my wife’s fav car and it was so ahead of its time. I miss that car so much.
Oh hey, it's that Intruder from GTA 4! Such a lovely-looking Infiniti... 😊
Good power figures for the time and a nice interior. Never knew these were such nice cars back in the day.
My mom had a 1995 Q45a. The sticker on that was $59,325. I was guessing this was going to at least be a $65k car. I do love these Q45’s a lot
I still remember the first commercial for this, with the car backing up the parking structure ramp using just the backup camera, when backup cameras were an upmodel upgrade
Love this car, would buy one in a heart beat, but the Lexus LS430 is just easier to maintain and find parts haha. Love em both
The pinnacle of automotive design for Nissan. It aged gracefully. Too bad they’ve never lived up to the design and engineering excellence as this Q-ship
The King of Infiniti
340hp in 2002 is the equivalent of about 500 to 550hp today.
What about 435hp in 1967?
Love those headlights
With a 96 mph trap speed, and hitting 60 in 6.6 seconds, the 1/4 mile should be 14.8 seconds, not 15.8 seconds. Cars running 15.8 are usually hitting 0-60 in 7.6-7.8 seconds.
Motor Weeks numbers have been "interesting" since i was a kid. I'm 45 now.
Must've been a typo on the script and video. I was thinking about the impala ls around the same time doing the quarter in 15.6
A lot of Nissans back then had weak top end power. They were snappy around town at lower speeds but weren't nearly as punchy on the highway. Also, the 3rd gen Q45 had a torque management system that disciplined those 340 horses within an inch of their life.
@@97I30T Boy did that HR engine barge through the top end conversation in '07, all the way through the mid-2010's!! 7,500 RPM babaaaaaay. Both my rides. 😅
Unfortunately, if you take a 2002 Lexus and a 2002 Infinity and drive and care for them exactly the same, the Nissan will always be falling apart WAY before the Yota!
Those hid projectors are still one of the most sought after for retrofitting and upgrading headlights
I always did like the 6-Barrel headlamps
Was looking for a 4x4 quad cab dakota but ended scooping up a mint 84k mile 00' Red RT, great truck!
So many industry firsts, but never taken seriously. Was it the product or the marketing in general is my question, as I never saw ads for this car on average. From the Visteon voice recognition spot where the guy stops traffic in the Netherlands, to the parking garage ad showcasing the world first* RearView Monitor, and some others, it's like they didn't want to pay for spots at all. This car came out just 6 months after the 2001 LS 430 in April of 2001, so I would've expected them to take marketing it more seriously. The M45 being added to the picture, basically killed this car and succeeded, with the ambitious 2006 M45 getting features that the Q45 didn't even have.
backup camera in 2002 was unheard of
This was 2001, check the episode date. In April of 2001, this was the only car with one in the USA. They were popular in Japan since the early-mid 90s, in luxury cars.
This car came out over 20 years ago and I still don't own a vehicle with a backup cam. But I also don't own a vehicle newer than 20 years old lmao
Had 94 Q45 Touring or Q45t, it had Power Front Head Rest like in Mercedes S & BMW 7, No Q45 Since had That, on the Other Hand This Q45 05 06 its Super rare to Found one with Front Seat Coolers
I LOVE these cars. Rip neat Nissan/Infiniti.
A powerful V8 cruiser with potential unrealized due to Nissan's woes at the time. The powertrain lived on with the trucks: the van (past tense) and the Titan for the time being.
This car was ahead of it's time by miles. Definitely infiniti's best
Cool they were already thinking of back up cameras in 2002
i love this model, i wish we got more cars from nissan jdm rebaged as infinitis
I really like the steer by wire in my 2021 q50
Shame these never came in manual, I'd honestly think of owning one
Insane that even a car journal like MotorWeek would still ignorantly think that in their joiner its Reno who “owns” Nissan.
I think you mean “Renault”. Reno is in Nevada. 😂
Renault hadn't completed the purchase of Nissan just yet when this car debuted. In fact, after this car, mostly everything went south. The G cars faired well, however.
@@hellkitty1014 Yeah definitely. In the early 2000's, Infiniti had way more performance, swagger, and looks than Lexus. Specifically, the 1st-gen G35 and 1st-gen M45, real hard-hitters. Apparently Carlos Ghosn and Renault in general, messed them up? That is what I've heard.
@@jaydee8926 yep! Seemed like 2004 hit and Nissan started going way down. Then started putting CVTs into everything. They allowed the Titan to languish too long instead of building on it because it(and the Armada) were great entrants when they came out, but the Americans never rest on full-size trucks and SUVs(plus they didn't have the reputation like Toyota, which is why the Tundra lasted 17 years w/o refresh). They exited the minivan market as well. Its just a sad story from a brand that gave vehicles like the original Z, Maximas that were once fun FWD cars(with 6spd manuals), etc. But it seems like they may be getting their act together with some of the latest product that has come out.
They have a tendency to get it wrong from time to time, but people seem to forget John is human and is capable of making these annoying mistakes. I hate the comment section for that reason, as they never see through it.
What a beast.
Wow, can't believe the Q45 only has a 13.7 cu. ft. trunk... about the same as my old Corolla! The Lexus LS430 has a proper big-car trunk with 20.2 cu. ft.
I think it's hilarious in 2923 that they describe this car's grille as "large".
The car looks good
Infiniti sold less than 50k cars in the US last year. I don’t see why “Nissan Premium” is still around.
They honestly don’t know to market themselves and it’s annoying. Acura and Lexus are doing great.
@@relaxitsme_alex9104Tell me about it. Any HS kid would do a better job marketing.
I don’t think we got these in Canada. But the Nissan President has started showing up from Japan now that it’s over 15 years old
I want to buy a 2006 q45S with the the dark orange interior and black exterior, if the wiring is right. Drop in the 7 speed from the m45
Gorgeous 💯🥰
Peak Q was the model year right before this one. The 99-01 Q45 was very refined looking, conservative, and a high quality car. It was a pig on fuel but this is not an economy model. Mechanicals were okay on this Q but the styling was hideous which contributed to the depreciation on par with a German car. Buying this over a Lexus LS430 at the time required strong brand loyalty. It is desirable now just for the rarity. Most have been destroyed and junked already. If you find one in excellent shape, it is worth buying just for the exclusivity.
Well, considering that I've owned both, I would still choose the Q45 or even the m45, mainly the m45 cuz unlike the LS400 it wasn't a 300 horsepower boat. It was a 340 horsepower boat
If you had Q45 infinity (any year) you was the man...or woman😏
Hopefully the man or woman can spell INFINITI. 😉
geez those brakes be smokin
I’m astonished that it had all that tech and a cassette player
Me too
You people and these dumb cliches about "cassette players" in "modern cars". If you weren't an adult or age back in 2001, then you'll never get it. It's hardly out of place. Things don't work that way, when you have to serve a broad customer base. BS like that is for bored journos to complain about, because they don't really own cars half the time. And then of course, you blindly parrot the same sentiments without deeply understanding what you're getting at.
That has to be the most expensive, Best cassette deck ever put in a car
Please do a second generation Nissan frontier next 05 to 21. I wanna know what y'all think of the 4.0 V6 and it's terrible turn radius
That terrible turn radius was frustrating as hell, whether it was towing or just parking the sumbitch in a lot. I've had full-sized trucks with better maneuverability than the '05 Frontier I had.
Cannot park that thing in a tight daycare parking lot to pick up the kid. Mission effin Impossible. The 4.0 VQ is reliable but it drinks, it's like you got John Goodman under the hood.
And this is why Genesis as a brand will never be able to compete against the other luxury brands. This car started at $25k less than Mercedes, $12k less than a bmw 7 series,but slightly less than Lexus. Genesis pricing is equal to or more than its competition.
Nissan Cima 2010 VIP in Bristol UK..imported last year :P so this Infiniti is the older and poorer brother of my Nissan
A Genesis, 10 years before Genesis
My neighbor has one!!! Same year same color. I needed to find a brake booster for him.... Was tough but got lucky and found a junkyard q45 at LKQ!
Long Term Pleasure Equal Long Term Success
Back when Infiniti was awesome.
2:36 VK45DE
First gen for me specifically 94-96 tmodel
What is a cassette deck?
It too bad that nissan doesn't build quality cars anymore. They now all look alike, with underpowered engines, with troublesome CVT transmissions.
Recently drove the refreshed Pathfinder with the 9 speed auto. If Nissan can wane out those CVT’s in other models, then they’re onto something
The vk45 that powers his car was derived Nissan's endurance racing motors
Something amiss here. 6.6 to 60 (seems slow) and 15.8 ET is slow for the 0-60 time. My 240/280 2002 GTP Pontiac Grand Prix did similar 0-60, but a much faster 15 flat ET. This was with only 900 miles on the odometer. Not even broken in yet. Again, with 340 hp, something is definitely amiss here.
Funny thing is don't see any of these on the road today That should say something😂🤣🤣🤣
They didn't make many, well built sedan very reliable
4:14 can anyone identify them SHOES? thanks.
Damn, 60K in those days is 105K today…
They seemed poised to go head-to-head with Lexus and the Germans. I remember these when they were new and I thought, “The next one is going to knock the ball out of the park (in design and tech… as the quality was there).” It’s sad that the elegance of a large luxury sedan seems to be of no value to most today. Today is mainly about marketing yet another crossover 🤦♂️
Sooooooooo unique !!!!!!
It seems like Nissan has been mired in crisis since the late 90s? Before he said 2002 I thought he was talking about current Nissan
I never like that the wheels always looked too small for the car and the rear end looked a little weird also
Hope Doug Demuro review this thing.
Looks like a contemporary Hyundai
Yo trabaje en el consecionario de GM y NISSAN (es del mismo dueño) en Rep. Dominicana y un cliente muy rico que mando a dar mantenimiento a un Q45 de su propiedad (solo habian 3 en el pais, incluido uno del dueño de laa consecionaria) que tenia en ese año 2002 un MERCEDES S600 V12 ( le costo 150 mil dolares) me dijo que increiblemente le gustaba mas conduciir el Q45 por ssu dinamca y confort.
Thought this car would be faster than 15.8
Very nice. But $8k for "bells and whistles" on a flagship luxury vehicle is ridiculous!!
we still dont hear much about INFINITY
nissan cima ❤
The back seat can't fold back, and there are no pass through. What a bummer
Nissan Cima 450 VIP
There is no way the 2002 Acura TL type S and this have the same 0-60 but 7/10ths of a second slower in the quarter but the Infiniti has a higher trap speed. Makes no sense.
Power delivery a mysterious mistress
@air-headedaviator1805 Could come down to the Acuras weight pretty sure it weighs considerably less.
Seems like a misprint where it's supposed to be 14.8, not 15.8, as that would commensurate with the trap speed. This show has a lot of poor post-edit quality control.
@@oldtwinsna8347 makes sense.
Infiniti started with a better flagship car than Lexus, but made 2 critical mistakes. They didn’t give the original Q45 a grille and they didn’t give it wood on the dash. They gambled Americans would buy in to their “zen” design. Instead, Americans wanted something that mimicked Mercedes. Lexus gave them that.
Don’t think I have ever seen one
Mercedes inspired front end and headlights.
15.8 @ 96mph? No.
This is the car that should have been the 1st generation, the 2nd gen was to conservative, the 1st generation wasnt conservative for its competition, the 3rd was right in the middle
What a shame that Nissan's (Infiniti's) once-stellar reliability record has been sullied by the connection to Renault. Renault hasn't made good cars, and now Nissan's record is spotty.
Although I loved the Q45, I think Infiniti veered too far off of the path of the 1st-gen model. It really was a good looking and good performing car that only needed a more refined interior that was more becoming of flagship luxury car. This car's bulbous styling and large f/r overhangs just wasn't as crisp. Sure, they added amenities and power, but Lexus has this style of luxury car covered at the time.
BS, the LS 430 was ugly until 2003. It was an ugly copy of the C140 Benz and bought by bargain hunters, disappointed in the W220.
@@nwezetx1 whats a C140 Benz? And this and the 3rd gen LS debuted in 2002 together. Both were not attractive, IMO.
@@hellkitty1014 Seriously???🤦♂🤦♂ Anyone who knows luxury cars and claims to be an enthusiast, would know what the C140 is. The largest S-Class made in the 20th century. *C* denotes all 2-door hardtop coupe Benzes, followed by chassis number = *140* . The LS 430 came out in October *2000( and debuted before that in January *2000* , this debuted in April *2000* and came out in April *2001* . So FYI, this didn't even come out in 2002, so perhaps brush up on some facts before making criticisms. I cannot take opinions like that seriously if there's holes in them, then again if it's only Mopars you care about, you cannot be bothered. I never comment without some awareness of the subject matter I'm mentioning, if it proves to misleading or confusing. Very great rule of thumb to follow. EDIT: Yeah, the Q45 front fascia was too intimidating and polarizing. It was over styled looking back in retrospect. Great tech suite and feature content, let down by overly jumpy styling. The car was truly ugly before it was finished in 1998, seeing many of the design proposals put forward for executive review. LS 430 was just as bad, being horribly derivative and a regression from the 1998 LS 400. It only looked decent after 2003 with 5 spoke wheels. Japanese automakers 80% of the time 20-30 years ago, used to draw some of the ugliest proposals and their best efforts are always what goes on sale. It's not as if they could do better, because they couldn't. The design proposals for both LS 430 and 2002 Q45 in the late 1990s, were just awful. It's heaven sent, that this is what they each released
@@nwezetx1 just to inform you, that would be the "W"140, built from 1992-1999. I have a '97, so I'm aware. And again, the 3rd-gen LS 430 debuted in 2002, thru the 2006 model year. 2000 was still based off of the 1995 second-gen, and face lifted in 1998. Please don't argue car facts with a real car guy, Mr. "Prepared".😩😂
@@hellkitty1014 The W140 was built from *April 1991* to *September 1998* . I had edited my comment for clarity above, but it's honestly pointless. Unfortunately, you are the expected Mopar ignoramus who really doesn't know what you're talking about at all, so this discussion is not worth having unless we are on the same page. The facts speak for themselves and it's pretty clear you know little of them. Oh well, just as I expected. 🤷♂
Y’all forget to get suspension it’s crazy expensive.
hmmm yes Nissan Cima
Nissan has to be the luckiest car company alive.😂😅
When a BMW Mercedes Audi Lexus Acura Caddilac Buick and Daewoo is too much money and you want to pretend that have money what do you do? Buy a Nissan with different badge
Never seen one in real life...
@@cedb4lifetheyre understated and badass. Rwd V8 is nothing like a maxima.
@@cedb4life fool
Man this was a shockingly ugly car. I used to think the headlights looked cool, but no when i see the whole vehicle, decades later, I am surprised lol
I can’t even begin to describe how absolutely underwhelming the overall styling of that vehicle is.
Those times are very slow for 340HP my old Mercedes e430 is faster and it only makes 275HP
Never did like this generation of of Q45. To big and bloated and styles awkwardly.