1989 Infiniti Q45
Broadly speaking, the 1980s were a fantastic time for the established luxury-car manufacturers. After the petroleum crisis of the 1970s, expensive, high-performance cars were back in vogue. Mercedes-Benz SLs were all the rage at tennis clubs, and yuppies began to fall in love with BMWs. Audi began its first (though ill-fated) ascent towards premier brand status, and Jaguars continued to nail down the old money.
By the end of the 1980s, however, the Japanese automakers were ready to set their sights on the luxury car market, having already stormed the economy-car and family-car markets. Over the previous decades, the Japanese had already achieved the unthinkable by wresting market share away from Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler; now the proud bastion of premium sports luxury cars beckoned.
Acura debuted in 1986 with a somewhat tepid ranging shot; a six-cylinder Legend too small and plebian to really compete with the biggest and best Mercedes and BMW offerings. But the real salvo arrived in 1989 with the explosive arrival of two high-caliber slugs--the Lexus LS400 from Toyota and the Infiniti Q45 from Nissan.
Both the LS400 and the Q45 were potent enough to go toe-to-toe with the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ sedan, and Audi V-8. Both offered refined performance from exotic (at the time) 32-valve V-8s, spacious interiors, and both promised Japanese reliability at a price that would undercut the Germans.
While similar in purpose, the Lexus and Infiniti were nonetheless polar opposites in philosophy. Lexus took the low-risk route by mixing a contemporary Cadillac's reputation for refinement with Mercedes' legendary poise. The result was a smooth, powerful, rolling isolation chamber.
The Infiniti Q45, on the other hand, was a rolling risk. From the long, low, design, to the giant belt buckle badge, to the notable absence of a gaudy front grille; to the scalloped leather seats; to the stark interior devoid of wood trim; to the laughably pretentious ads that showed photos of placid rocks and zen-like brooks without even showing the car, the Q45 could not have been farther from the luxury-car mainstream.
Unlike the Lexus, the Q45 also came down on the hot-rod side of the equation, with taut suspension and a 278-horsepower screamer of a V-8 that made the Q45 the unquestioned class performance leader.
On the one hand, we had an extremely competent but stodgy competitor that played it safe; on the other, a fast but weirdly risky competitor.
It doesn't take a marketing degree to correctly guess which of those two paradigms is more likely to succeed. Neither does it take much time on this blog to know that I instinctively prefer the other.
After its trouncing at the hands of Lexus, Infiniti eventually learned to dumb down its flagship. The Q45's interior sprouted wood trim, a vestigial front grille appeared on the nose, and, saddest of all, the hard performance edge was filed off. Evidently a large percentage of luxury car buyers prefer their cars to have all the personality squeezed out. Only semi-recently, years later, has the Q45 gotten its groove back.
Those early risky Q45s, though, had a purity that I find endearing. Good-looking, fast, invigorating, and cut from a unique cloth, the Q45 is that rarest of breeds--a Japanese luxury sedan that looks as quirky and is nearly as rare as an Alfa Romeo 164.
--Chris H.
mochi mochi on January 30, 2008 at 10:37 PM
This story has so many interesting elements. I completely agree about the Alfa reference in design. But to me one of the great curiosities is the creation of new brands. Acura, Infinity, Lexus. These names came out of no where overnight. Crazy car ads that showed no car. Mysteries and puzzles - I'm really surprised there is not a car manufacturer called Enigma.
One of the most clever aspects of this brand effort is logo design. To create the Acura logo take a Honda logo turn it upside down and pinch the top - there you go - new logo - new brand - print it.
But this invention of new automotive brands really was a huge surprise at the time. The existing condition up until the release of these cars had been that there were auto manufacturers who seemed to have always been... as if from the beginning of time there was Ford, Pontiac, Dodge, etc... A few manufacturers went belly up - but it was like the dinosaurs - there were occasional extinctions - but these were lumbering giants that had always roamed the earth.
Now the Japanese decide to set their sights on a new market - and so they invent new brands to accomplish this goal. Brilliant!
I personally know very little about these cars. They really aren't on my radar. I know a bit about Acura (surprise surprise) - and I have generally had a pretty good impression of them - especially the civic based models like the RSX.
I suppose I owned a luxury sport sedan once - a 1979 BMW 320i - last car you could buy in the US that ran leaded fuel and had no catalytic converter. That was about all the luxury I would ever want - and by today's standards there was not much. Of course I modded it and traded a smooth ride for very taut handling - lowered stiffened springs, bilstein shocks, headers, tweaked distributor, fat tires, limited slip differential, vented discs, lots of "useless" plumbing removed. I like sleepers.
I think one falls into one of two categories. Those that like their cars soft and smooth. And those that like 'em a little rough and edgy. I definitely fall into the latter category. If I can't feel every ripple, contour, and crack in the road I feel uncomfortable. If I can't hear the engine and "sense" all parts of the car - I feel uncomfortable and dislocated... I need a connection with a car that goes deeper. That sense of oneness.
These old Q45s sound pretty good. But... I'm not sold yet. Except... I started to get a hankering for a luxury car the other day. A friend of mine gave me a ride in her 1972 Mercedes 220. I know... the 220!? This was a rockin ride! I want one or something like it. Now I'm looking at 67 Mercedes and pre-76 BWMs. They have an edge and a special charm. The Q45 may have some of this charm in about 5 or 10 years. But I think it needs to age a little more before it's quite right.
Frank Black on January 31, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I was reading something not long ago that made the argument that Lexus had become the Buick of the higher-end market. That is, soft and squishy and comfortable and quiet. I think if I were going to buy something from that class I'd go for the Infiniti over the Lexus.
IIRC, the main reason the Japanese came up with these new brands was because they'd developed their reputations on smaller, affordable economy cars and didn't think people would associate, for example, "Honda" with a luxury car. After all, up to that point most people probably associated Honda with the original Pregnant Roller Skate.
This might not have been totally innovative; they saw that Ford and GM and Chrysler all had different divisions with different market orientations (Ford vs. Lincoln, for example), but the Japanese had to create new ones rather than buy existing ones like the Americans had done earlier.
Ralph L on February 02, 2008 at 02:07 PM
...the 1980s were a fantastic time for the established FOREIGN luxury-car manufacturers.
Fixed it.
Cadillac had an underpowered, unreliable engine most of the decade. They introduced smaller fwd cars just as the price of gas plummeted in 85. Then there's the Cimarron.
I can't even remember Lincolns of the 80's.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater on February 03, 2008 at 08:44 AM
There was once a time when Mercedes engineered and built cars as if money was no object. Sure, you would get super-expensive cars, but they'd be safe, reliable, and grand.
Then the Japanese came.
Mercedes got stuck in the weeds trying to engineer down the costs and keeping up with the gadgetry, and for a number of years now their cars have been junk, and I attribute this to Lexus.
Personally, I wouldn't buy any Benz after say the mid 1990s (W140). Sure they're pretty and their gadgets are top notch now, but they'll cost you an arm and a leg, much more than maintaining a classic Benz.
Rick on February 03, 2008 at 08:46 AM
My father, who was quite well off, never owned a new car his entire life. One day he drives home with a year old Q45. He was losing his eye sight by then and voluntarily gave up his license less than 6 months later. My father and my 3 brothers all loved that car. Understated elegance, non-pretentious, fast, comfortable, reliable. Even the baige color was understated and perfect.
Bozoer Rebbe on February 03, 2008 at 03:39 PM
My first thought when the first Q45 and LS400 came out was that Toyota was imitating Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti was doing their version of the Jaguar XJ. Infiniti then seemed to lose their way, but with the 350Z platform and the beautiful cars Shiro Nakamura has designed for it (G35, G37) they seem to have their groove back. It's interesting the Nissan has brought the GT-R here before Toyota has pulled the trigger on producing the LF-A supercar. They seem to be content to keep showing new iterations at auto shows (at Detroit a roadster).
It will be interesting to see what Jaguar does with the new XJ. Word is that it will be more radical than the XF. It will be interesting to see if Ian Callum can come up with a thoroughly modern car that's still an XJ.
And what's with all the fender gills? At this year's NAIAS in Detroit, I noticed that they've now given the XJ a set of gills on it's flanks, just like the XK and XF. Considering one of the signature elements of all XJs is that long, smooth panel from wheel arch to wheel arch it's a bad decision. At least the fender vent was designed into the XK and XF so though I'm not keen on it there, at least it's integrated well. On the XJ it looks pasted on.
Fender gills are real popular these days. Car stylists are like everyone else and get caught up in fads and trends. Clear taillight lenses anyone? I think the most recent popularity of the gills started with the Ford Super Duty pickups. Then the Range Rover Sport came out with them. Now they are all over the place. The new Focus restyle has chrome gills. It's not just Ford brands either. The Escalade has 'em too.
Zarba on February 04, 2008 at 07:50 AM
I had a 1995 Alfa 164Q. One of the final 30 imported. I loved that automobile, but like any fine Italian mistress, she beat up my wallet like a bad dog. After it jumped timing and bent all 24 valves, I had to sell her.
The original Q45 was a phenomenal car. It offered unmatched performance and very good reliability. You still see lots of them on the road today. If you can dfind one with low miles, I'd think it was a bargain.
gab on February 04, 2008 at 03:33 PM
I had a '90 Q 45 - bought in '94 with about 50,000 miles on the odometer. Loved that car - it was like a jet, 50 to 80 mph acceleration was phenomenal. However, later in its life, I spent so much money on repairs that I swore never to buy an Infiniti again.
Rob on February 10, 2008 at 10:33 PM
AHahahahaha I almost bought an Alfa 164 a few years ago. This is great. You guys are my heroes. You've commented on most of the cars I've ever owned, and even the ones I went to buy but ended up not buying. Awesome.
chris on July 22, 2008 at 02:31 PM
I have an original 90 Q45. It was ordered and delivered in 1989 by my Dad, and had to of the very first shipped to U.S. Has @40,000 miles and I drive it every time I need to be the fastest most stable car on the highway. Like the man said...50-80 mph is a thrill. It is getting to the age it needs to be properly preserved and recognized...but is in outstanding condition. Infiniti wants to forget about it...people only want it for parts...so it sits in my barn wanting the respect it deserves...will someone come and buy it for the $1800 blue book and take it on the condition it stays in service? They will get a few rides of their life, and now there is much more money into it than will ever come out. Infinity needs to be jack slapped for turning its back on such an awesome car....they won't even service it anymore...when it should be a collector car as infamous as the edsall. 252.305.1267
Jim on August 11, 2008 at 01:34 PM
I still have a '91 Q45 I bought new off the showroom floor - Beige Sand/White leather. It has just 78,000 miles. (I never used it as a daily go-to-work car; that's what my truck is for.) Like the previous writer's comments, these cars are smooth and quick with an engine that feels like it is always 'on the cam'. Infiniti did the early Q45 right ... high quality, great handling and a very comfortable interior. I believe it was Brock Yates who once wrote of a long road trip in an early Q describing the 'cradle-of-God' seats. I still get a lot of compliments on this car ... people can't believe it's 17 years old. I'm fortunate that my local dealer has kept the car serviced regularly and upgraded when necessary. The same technician has worked on it for most of its life. He also owns an early Q. I guess this one's lucky it has a fussy (also aging) car guy for an owner.
Channing on October 23, 2009 at 08:02 PM
I own a '95 Q45 with 210,000 miles. Sure, I get a few irritating, though minor, problems to fix from time to time, but it still runs like a cheetah. A truly great car; one of the best I've ever driven.
My whole family thinks I need a new car, mainly because they think old equals inferior. Me? I know what I've got, and couldn't replace the performance & luxury for under $60K. As is, I average less than $1K per year on repairs. Hard to beat that.
I've used a shop in Atlanta called T3 Automotive that only repairs Lexus & Infiniti. They claim the Q45 can go well over 400K miles without major engine or transmission work. That's impressive.
Joe on June 16, 2010 at 04:32 PM
I remember my boss's husband in about 1992 had a Q45a-- that was the active suspension option. I think it was about 55 large. But a very interesting concept--hydraulically-controlled suspension with sensors and actuators instead of a tuned passive system. I gathered that body roll in corners and nosedive in braking was minimized quite a bit with this design.