(Updated 10/29/2026) The Infiniti M45 was a curious thing, looking so much like an American four door hardtop, which of course hadn’t existed since the 1978 Chrysler New Yorker we looked at the other day. One might think that Americans would be eager to snap something like this, a big, beefy V8 sedan, but that was not the case. At all.
The problem was (at least in part) that it looked a decade or more old when it arrived, especially compared to the Chrysler 300. Now that was very reflective of the times.
The M45 was heavily based on the Nissan Gloria, but had the Q45’s big 340 hp V8 under the hood, and its rear suspension was also upgraded. I wondered if Nissan had made it more deliberately retro, whether it might have done a wee bit better.
My heart still goes pit a pat when I see one of these. I recall the as being very expensive at the time, and they did not look like most other cars in that price class. But maybe that was why I liked them so. That and the classic formula of mid-size car with a big V8.
I don’t recall ever encountering one, how many did they sell in those years? Were they half-door construction?
Yes, these were half-door/frameless window construction, one of the last holdovers of Japanese executive cars from the ’80s and ’90s being 4-door “pillared hardtops”.
If carsalesbase.com is to believed, Infiniti sold 7,855 M45s from 2002-04. I’ve never seen one in the metal.
By 2003, Nissan/Infiniti was already an “also ran” to Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura.
I’m sure this is a fine car, but I imagine that in ’03, this was only an aspirational car for people who were already Nissan fans.
2003 is when Infiniti released the G35 (later the G37), which has to be greatest hit.
I will grant that everything else in their lineup, including the M45, was virtually unknown by comparison.
I personally also love the lines on this car. I think it’s a sweet machine. I had a business relationship with an Infiniti dealership principal back in the day. He said it was a great car, too expensive and just didn’t translate over here…a car for a market that didn’t exist. And yes, languished on his lot with cash on the hood.
I think there was also cannibalization from the G35 sedans and coupes, which were much more contemporary in design, had excellent driving dynamics and performance despite the power deficit from the V8, were more efficient and really gave up nothing in terms of practicality to them. The G was really Infiniti’s only true hit and one of the few cars that was recognizable as an Infinity, and in the luxury field the M45 was basically invisible.
It’s a shame, I loved the styling, my Dad almost bought a used bright red one instead of his Lexus GS despite my pleas. Despite looking out of step for the early 2000s the design is as close to timeless as a sedan as I can think of,
I agree these made little sense next to a G sedan. The M45 looks deceptively larger than it is, and was no more roomy than it’s cheaper cousin. The current Honda Civic sedan is over an inch wider than one of these.
Interesting. This doesn’t look like an American car to me, it looks like a blandly generic high-endy Japanese one of its day. Seeing this pic reminds me I haven’t noticed one of these cars in a long time—did I ever notice any of these I’ve ever seen? I doubt it. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I suspect the first time I saw one of these was on a Michigan freeway, up ahead far enough that I couldn’t quite tell what it was, but it kept on registering as “generic high-endy Japanese car”. Eventually I caught up to it and was able to read the badges, but I’m not sure it mattered.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“generic high-endy Japanese car”
Ah, well you did recognize it as an Infiniti at least lol
I didn’t think about that, the car looking dated when it debuted, I figured it looked about the same as a Chrysler 300. A throwback to an earlier era, but not too odd or tacky looking.
I can’t think of the last time I saw one of these in Oregon in person.
Never had these in Australia; well, we hardly had Infiniti at all.
I thought I was going to like reading about this, but the more I read, the less I like.
Bland.
I don’t care for sedans much.. I don’t relate to Infiniti, it’s so far from a car I’d typically appreciate yet I’ve always thought the lines on this car were sublime, serene and sexy. The lack of clutter and gee-gaws was SO refreshing. Definitely a high mark for Infiniti.
The only places I have seen cars at all like this have been in Singapore, where the range of cars on sale belies the size of the market, and NZ, where they were JDM cars, imported when used.
Hardly any of the RHD Y34 Cedric/Gloria versions left here now Roger; they’ve been and gone.
As a 70s-00s RWD JDM Nissan fan, I so wanted to love these, but despite looking ok in pictures, they’re completely forgettable in the metal.
Fun fact: the Cedric/Gloria version was available with fender rear-view mirrors (as opposed to door-mounted).
Funner fact: The RHD models had a completely different (and far better in my opinion) dashboard than the LHD version.
The V8 engines are out playing at speedway regularly apparently they bullet proof.
The angularity reminds me of the contemporary first-gen CTS.
When these came out, I remember a magazine article stating that although they were supposed to be a sort of “banker’s hot rod”, they were too generically anonymous looking. Even though the V-8 had power, it was an odd, quirky combination that simply didn’t resonate with buyers. (IMO)The spoiler on the one in the picture doesn’t help (although it’s the only time I’ve ever seen one on a the car)! A co-worker had one, and I found it hard to find anything really likeable about it.
As someone from NYC, we had a gang of these in the city – Infinity was very popular here. I always thought that this was the best looking sedan from Japan.
I just came across this listing about an hour before reading this post. I was thinking it was a pretty attractive car that I wouldn’t mind having. V8 RWD sedan is my weakness second only to station wagons.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Div24Fv21/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I’ve seen one of these locally now and then, always meticulously detailed and a sharp looker in pearl-white paint with matte-blacked-out door handles, trunklid badging and trim, leaving only the grille badge and window trim in chrome.
I think in today’s passages vehicle design the B- pillar needs to be more attractive. Basically it looks the same from Rolls-Royce to small Mitsubishi, a thick pilar either plastic cover or painted metal, there’s no any design element added into the pillar. Personally I consider thin or hidden pillar or pillar-less vehicles are more beautiful like the featured M45 here, the hard top in the past. In my own account, today US market the Mercedes E coupe CLE is only pillar-less car because Benz just retired its longtime S coupe two years ago.
I knew someone who had one of these. He had just wrecked his Olds Bravada, wasn’t terribly bright, and a friend of his tried to convince him to buy an off-lease Corolla, instead. But he went ahead with a much older M45 and it was nothing but trouble.
When these reached our shores, like Moparman, I distinctly remember reading in a magazine that the design was so generic that it looked like a car you’d see on a sign for a local transmission shop to avoid copyright.
At first, I agreed and did not care for them. It wasn’t until the middle 2000s that I cam to appreciate their understated yet commanding style. I kept my eye out for a clean one with the uncommon black interior but I never trusted that it would have been a reliable car. This, despite seeing many examples for sale north of 150k miles.
The side and rear 3/4 view has more of an Acura look in many ways. Specifically the Acura RL Acuras which were in this class. And let’s not forget that Mercedes wasn’t exactly trotting out the best looking and more inspirational big S-class sedans back in the early ’00s either. And who could forget the 7-series BMW “Bangle butt” trunk as well.
That said, 340 horsepower was a big number in the early ’00s. The 2003 C6 Corvette had 350hp as a reminder from a 5.7L V8.
Well, yes. German cars are often rather ugly, but at least they looked German and impressed the impressionable.
By then, Japanese design had become rather watered-down (The Cue-X and Legend were originally quite stunning) and looked like a generic copycat of something else.
The KA9 (woof!) might look like a very wet W140, but at least it brought a FWD inline V6 to the party. Which no-one wanted.
The poor Infiniti (I still have to check the spelinge every time!) seems very me too. It’s not as if the USA doesn’t know how to make a big RWD V8 sedan itself.
Lexus has done remarkably well to survive, really.
“It’s not as if the USA doesn’t know how to make a big RWD V8 sedan itself.”
Well they did not in the 2000s for full size luxury except the Town Car. The Cadillac De Ville was front wheel drive. And that never changed in the full size class. Cadillac did move to sporty rear wheel drive albeit int he smaller CTS class starting in 2002 for the 2003 model year. So the American market was sorely lacking in the big full sized V8 rear wheel drive competition segment for more European sporty driving. In fact, it was non-existent!
I’d forgotten the Mopar 300C was a bit later, too.
Transverse V8s- WCPGW?
This could have been mistaken as a Lincoln or Mercury with a different waterfall grill and more discrete tail lights. Similar to the Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest situation.
Would have saved Ford from developing the Milan or Zephyr platform. Silver grey interior with a champagne exterior color with V8 for Lincoln and V6 for Mercury. This would have sold very well!
It’s not a design improvement over a 1993 Mazda 929 that’s ten years older than this Infiniti.
looks like a toyota. nothing American looking about it.
I remember back in the summer of 2003 I reguarly walked past this car finished in silver which was on-street parked in Toronto. I absolutely hated the design, it almost seemed to me like Infiniti styled the front and rear with the intent to generate low sales. The slab sides connecting the two ends were the topper on this “design inherently looks wrong” cake.
When the new for ’96 Q45 debuted I was very disappointed in what the car had become, as if Infiniti was signalling it was bowing out of the race against the LS400, and I adjusted my expectations of future Infiniti models. While the M45 was locked into the design of the Japanese market Gloria and that little could be done to improve its look, but what Infiniti came up with was even worse than the ’94+ Ford Scorpio.