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Review by: Wes Stinson
It should come of no surprise to the posting members here that I do not go to the Infiniti dealership very often.
First, I own a first generation Q45, so that means I am not looking to buy new, and I do all my own work to the
car, so that means that I really have no reason to go to the dealer. With that being said, this being my first
Infiniti dealership experience.
So I pull up in my 1994 Q45, being loud due to the aftermarket exhaust, and dirty from sitting all week (and being
beaten around with no way to wash it). I drive around, and I spot my eyes on this little beauty. Crimson pearl
(the color of my previous Q45) M45 sport. Unfortunately they did not have any M’s with the technology package. I
am not really too concerned about those gizmos and gadgets anyway.
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After about five minutes of meandering through the sea of my Mt. Fuji crested brethren, a salesman approached
me. I explained to him that I have not been very enthusiastic about what Infiniti had to offer since the
first generation Q45, and that my reading on the new M seems to capture the original spirit of the
performance luxury sedan since that time.
So I got some literature, and then I told him I was doing a review for one of the
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largest Nissan and Infiniti clubs on the Internet. I gave him my card, and they were very eager to let me drive. Since I am under 21,
they required someone go with me. Not a big deal, he did not put up any fuss to what I was doing to the car
(and I wasn’t easy on it!). Impressive none the less that they even gave me the time of day.
As a side note, I went to Infiniti of Fort Wayne, located in (yeah you guessed it) Fort Wayne, IN. I have to
say I am extremely impressed with the amount of professionalism. I dealt with Ron who is one of the managers
there, and he approached me and was very much a professional. He treated me like I actually had the money to
buy the car. For anyone considering an Infiniti, this dealership is top notch. When I walked in, I felt like
I was in the lobby of a hotel in Las Vegas, except they had Infiniti’s sitting around. How could life be
better? I cannot say enough good things about this dealership, and they also have a master technician that
was trained on the first generation Q45. A match mate in heaven, indeed!
Now onto the part on what you really wanted to hear about: What I thought about the car.
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I sat in the car for a while and tried to absorb its aura. The materials used in the M interior of
utmost quality, soft and very sturdy feeling. The only qualm I had with the interior was the center trim
on the dash, as well as the plastic door pulls. I am used to the chrome metal handles in my Q45. Had I
been in the car with the rosewood or brushed aluminum, which may have been different. Regardless, it
seems very much on par with the 2005 BMW 745 I was in earlier this year. For
what automakers are putting out today, this M interior is very well
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made, still doesn’t seem the same as my Q45. One thing that impressed me was the way the doors sound when they close. I know this sounds very strange
, but I've never seen a nissan product where the door sounds so solid when it closes.
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While we're talking about BMW, the rear seats resembled very much a 95-01 BMW 7 series. Not sure why, but
thats the first thing I noticed when I opened the rear door. Also in this picture you can especially
notice the edging they put on the seats.. I am referring to the grey part that goes around the edge of
the seats. Very nice touch!
One thing Infiniti really stepped up on was the center pod thing. I am not a fan of the way they have
those layouts, I prefer the stacked layouts of the Q45 and like the new Cadillac STS.
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Regardless, this was a welcome change to what the FX35 was like I drove earlier this year. The buttons are very well
thought out and everything is almost where you expect it. I really did not mess with any of the
technology related items; in retrospect I wish I had tried the cooled seats. My main
concern for going there was one thing: Is the performance all it was hyped up to be?
Unlike my car, the car is completely silent at idle. I could only hear a muffled
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“pmpmpmpmpm” coming from the exhaust as I walked around it.
I take off out of the dealer lot, and unlike the G35 which is a little too twitchy for me, this takes off
just as smooth as my Q45. I redline this thing and I have 2 words: HOLY CRAP! What is so amazing to me is how well under control this
power is. It’s so smooth, so quiet, and so refined, it would be like Michael Johnson running
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the 100 meter dash in an Armani suit. Compared to my Q45, it really did not feel as if it had much more thrust, it just had
more average thrust. There were very little dead spots, if any. The power curve was a very boring curve,
meaning the torque is very even through the RPM range, which is not something I am used to. I am used to
having to wait until my Q gets to 4000 RPM before it really gets going. As an aside, I am convinced that if
my Q45 had the same transmission and rear axle ratio that they would be very close in performance.
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One thing I prayed for before I went to bed every night was that the manual shifter would be better than
it was in the G35. Fortunately, I was correct. As I have noted before, I really was not a fan of the G35
and FX35 manual shifter. It was very unresponsive in my experience. This one is VERY much more refined,
it did miss a couple of my downshifts, but perhaps I was going too fast to downshift
into that gear. Everything was perfect. The only thing I would have changed with
that is that the manual shifter would be engaged when you push it to the right, not the left.
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I meant to put it in drive the first time instead I was in the manual. I was very excited to see that it holds the gear you
are in and does not want to shift until you tell it to.
Handling on this car is amazing. For those of you who have been in my Q45, you know that it is not lacking in
the handling department. The car feels much more balanced than my Q45. Its handling characteristics are very
similar to the G35, except it’s a little more plush. It feels as if (if this were possible) that I could hold
this car in the center with my finger and the car would balance perfectly. It is front heavy, but it does not
feel that. Possibly the rear active steering (which my M was equipped with) helped that. There was a slight
bit of body lean noticeable, but hardly anything worth mentioning.
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I drove the sport model, and honestly I was expecting it be firmer than it was, and I would not mind it
being firmer. This would not go over with many of the target buyers to the M. Braking is very, and not
surprisingly, similar to the G35. Seems to have a little less bite which is appropriate for a luxury car.
To me, a car is more than a mode of transportation. It is a way that you express yourself, who you are, and
what you are about. How a car feels is very much
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a huge part of if I will like the car. Most of you know how
attached I am to my first generation Q45, and how I am very reluctant to give up my Q for anything. However,
this car feels to me like the first generation Q45 in 2006 model year trim. If I were to buy one of these
cars, I would definitely miss my Q, but I think I could get over it. Ideally one would like to have both.
I have a thing about my Q feeling like “home”. I drive other cars, and think that they’re nice, however I
feel like I am at home whenever I am in my Q45. This M45 is the only other car I have been in that has that
feeling of “home”. This car is not about the transportation that it provides; it is about the experience it
gives. The amazing fact is how well things work seamlessly. I am convinced that if one does not notice
certain things, they are working as they should.
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| Wes Stinson (elwesso) is a NICOclub Infiniti Moderator
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VH45DE Swap
VH45DE, the engine code your 240sx wants! .....
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