Summer of 1996. I'm a recent high school graduate who's working as a car porter/car washer at Joe Bullard Luxury Car Center (Jaguar, Infiniti and Volvo) in Mobile, Ala. I remember when these new Q45s arrived.
I remember my childhood spent riding around in an Infiniti G20 loaner car because my dad's 97 Q45 was constantly broken down. We switched to Acura forever after that.
This car brings back memories. I remember my neighbor had a 1997 q45 which she drove for over 20 years. It was a rather unique vehicle but due to it being so uncommon i thought it was the coolest car Ive ever seen i absolutely love the looks of this generation Infiniti q45
This car is so slept on outside of the VIP scene, I dont think people appreciate this car enough. It was pretty much and still is overshadowed by Lexus' reputation and this thing is extremely reliable
Hell.. Even just a Nissan.. The Sentra SE-R, 200sx, 240sx, pulsar, hard body trucks, the 4DSC maxima, stanza, even the quest minivan was interesting.. Now it has no soul it's all boring.. 😢
@@gedamanNissan favored in 1986 the less is more design philosophy and an extension of the design themes in the 300ZX and R32 Skyline. They were trying to avoid the stuffy, ostentatious luxury of Jaguars and Rolls Royce. Wasn’t easy to change course in 1990-91 for the ‘94 model. Lots of budget cuts for this Q41 designed in 1992-1993.
@@nwezetx1 Haha, Q41. That just doesn’t sound as good as Q45, does it? Every now and then I see a late ‘90s Q45. I like the styling. It reminds me of the 1999 I30 I used to have. Nissan really missed the mark with the styling on the original Q45 in 1989. Instead of a grille they had a big Infiniti badge that looked like a weird Texas belt buckle. It perplexed everyone.
These were pigs of fuel…maybe 15-17 mpg at best combined mileage. They depreciated like a German car and were destroyed when $10K car buyers bought them around 2005 and tried to operate them on a $10K car budget. The timing chain job is very labor intensive and now exceeds 30% of what the whole car is worth so they are all economically totaled at this point unless it is a collector grade car. However, they are better than any new Nissan product these days. The 10th anniversary model and Q45T added stuff like adjustable suspension, bigger wheels, xenon headlamps, and the strip of plastic on the trunk called a spoiler to attract people but it did not work out. The next model in 2002 failed even worse which is tragic because so much R&D went into them such as having the most powerful headlight illumination in the world then and acoustic engineers having spent massive amounts of time to develop the interior design for a quiet ride and superb performance from the audio system. Within 5-8 years from new they were all on the ghetto car lots with buy here pay here at 15% APR.
A lot of technology went into the next generation model F50, including the first backup camera in USA in April 2001. Marketing wasn’t consistent after initial rollout in 2001.
@@texan176 I can agree to this. I bought my 98. Paid $2500 at a lot called “it is what it is” auto sales in Oakland California. Was parked behind a razor wire fence with guard dogs.
Ill always remember my bf's friend who just bought a brand new Q45a and was proudly showing it off. It was a space ship to me. I never liked the mini grill they put on vs the flat emblem on the OG. Its a shame Nissan doesn't support their cars. Getting replacement parts for this is and others are an impossible task. Why you don't see any on the road. Remember the J30? Yea...
Had a new G20 in 1995 and had it in for service the loaner they gave me was a Q45. It was such a nice car! I would have loved to have had one but the price was way out of my league. The G20 was a fun car to drive and for a small car it had a very smooth ride. Sold it to an older lady in my church and she drove it for 20 years.
Infiniti was always playing second fiddle to Acura and Lexus. They never seemed to make designs that were well adopted. This continues to today where the brand, like Nissan is just barely hanging on.
I have loved the Q45 from its debut in '89 and the revamping of it until it was dropped from the Infiniti lineup. After watching the Stephen King film "Thinner", seeing the Q45 in the film are my favourite scenes.
I looked at buying one of these a few year ago, great looking car. But none of my Mechanic friends knew anything about them, most hadn't even hear of the 4.1 V8.....they were asking just a little too much money....
This to me always was and still is, a “dad” car. At first glance you wouldn’t think, but for some reason that’s who always had it and still does, dad types, now grandfathers, guys over 50. When I see an old one driving around it’s always an older guy behind the wheel.
Motorweek tested a 1994 Buick Roadmaster with the LT1 350. 0-60 was accomplished in 6.9 seconds. With the grand touring suspension handled just as well as the Q45 for half the price. Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?
Both Honda and Nissan observed what Lexus did with the W124 E-Class and W126 S-Class, so they copied the new W140 S-Class of 1991 and incorporated that styling in 1993 for their next gen cars in due by 1996. Case in point, the 1996 Acura 3.5RL and 1996.5 (97) Infiniti Q41. The next generation cars, the Q45 of 2001 and RL of 2004, went heavier on technology and design, but ultimately flopped.
The Japanese Lincoln Town Car with the Cadillac Deville copycat interior. These cars were overlooked when they came out about 26 years ago. Infiniti didn’t really kick in until the 2003 G35 came out. I still enjoyed my 1999 I30 as a used car though.
26 years ago? This is episode is from 1996, what are you even talking about? Also, Nissan designed this interior interior in 1993, so which Deville did they even copy?
@gedaman You can think anything looks like something else, But it's quite uninformed and misguided to accuse Infiniti of a copycat interior, considering the design work was done in the early 90s and that Cadillac Deville you keep referring to is supposedly newer.
@@gedaman What do you think happened at Nissan? When and how? This Q45 interior was designed from 1992 to 1993. I have the development portfolio on the Y33 program, with internal timeline info. Cars are not designed last minute due to vast engineering requirements and regulations. So, how do you think it's possible against Cadillac? Design freezes, are when final styling decisions conclude at 99% identical to the production model. Design freeze occurred at 30 months before Job 1 for Nissan back then and the basic design itself is finalized 3 years ahead. '97 model production began in June 1996, so 3 years ahead is mid-1993. Matches internal info. Doesn't seem like copying is possible if you say that vehicle is from 1994 instead... I know the real story about both cars, but I am still curious as to what *you* truly think was possible for Nissan to copy at Cadillac in 1993? The newest QX80 design was finished in 2021, yet barely in dealers now as a 2025 model. I intensely dislike copycat allegations, if they are unfounded on the basis of no concrete proof. I can't accuse someone of copying someone else, if I don't have proof of when they started and finalized their own work. Cars are designed 3-6 years before release, not the year before. 2025s today were finished no later than 2022. There might be a better case example you have at Cadillac, which I've found, but won't mention.
Always had the 2nd tier status to Lexus from the get-go. Q45 never had the same panache as the LS400. Lexus also had much better success with the SUV craze later in the 2000s.
@oldtwinsna8347 That's debatable about SUVs. Lexus only had the RX as a sales juggernaut. Problem was Nissan kept the Murano of 2002 for Nissan and refused to offer it as an Infiniti IX35, simply because Ghosn wanted Infiniti as RWD only by 2005. Nissan designers were literally in 1998-99 inspired by the RX 300. Executives decided to go BMW like, with the FX 35/45 instead and created the first coupelike crossover, to be less cookie cutter. Infiniti didn't succeed as much as Lexus, but the FX sold very well in the 2000s in a segment Lexus did not play in. QX56 sold better than the LX470 and 570, but less than the smaller GX470. QX4 also beat the RX300 to market in 1996, being a unibody crossover. Infiniti had issues in terms of consistency, particularly with the Q45 late 1989 marketing campaign. After that, the real issue was the design being too unconventional for American tastes. The nearly 4 years it took to update the car, was much too long. Lexus by comparison, updated the LS 400 within 3 years of release and full redesign at 5 years. Nissan took almost 7 years and landed with a metoo product, regressively executed. The one time to correct course and make an impact, they once again failed with design. The 3rd generation car was perfect, but again too unconventional because the headlights while innovative, were as polarizing as the "Bangle Butt" from being so ungainly. Infiniti dealers had gotten used to understocking the bland 2nd gen cars by 1999, that each dealer only received 1-2 Q45s for long periods. If you wanted one, it had to be special ordered.
@@nwezetx1 how do current Infiniti dealers survive? I don’t even know what product they have left. This is form a prior q50 owner. It was a mediocre car at best. We got it bc of the ultra cheap lease deal.
@@Wasabi9111Stop trolling lol. One would be blind to not see at least one or in the sticks. There are Q50s aplenty after being in production for 11 years, plus plenty more of SUVs.
Based on what? There has to be credible context for such a claim and not just unfounded opinion. Any Cadillac you’re referring to must be older than a certain point in time and that wouldn’t be close to 1996-97. Nissan designed that interior over 30 years ago in the early 90s.
@@nwezetx1…they obviously meant the Cadillac interior of that era, and they’re correct because that’s exactly what Infiniti was aiming to emulate. Looks like a 90s Deville/Seville.
@VideoAmericanStyle Your opinions do not mean much, if wasn't possible for Nissan to use that Cadillac design as a reference. I have the background information on development of this car and the Cadillac in question. Do you or the OP? I doubt it. Problem is, most of you casual commenters assume you know, how and when cars are designed. Tell me when Cadillac released the design in question and when Nissan designed this very vehicle? That information I'm privy to, but a lot of you won't bother to be certain and comment out of ignorance, providing zero proof that can't be refuted. Prove that Nissan "emulated" that design and had enough time to do so. This car went into production in June 1996, so there's only so much time to design and engineer it for prototyping and verification. Many of you are so presumptuous regarding automotive design, when often you guys are unaware how long it takes and the timelines involved. It is unfair to accuse an automaker of being derivative, if you have zero evidence.
@@maclac48 I understand what you meant in your original comment - the interior clearly takes cues from that era’s Deville/Seville. Ignore that other poster - they’re an insufferable douchebag with way too much free time. They arrogantly crap on everyone’s comments on this channel and thinks they know much more than they actually do. Or it’s some AI bot mining for information. Either way, best to ignore and enjoy the videos instead! 🚙
Ah, the short lived success of the Q45. The original was the best version, but the quality just wasn't there compared to Acura and Lexus. Then they made it more boring and it just couldn't compete.
These were beautiful cars but they did have a downsized engine compared to first gen. But still, a great car. Zero to 60 in 8 sec wasn't fast even than, but certainly plenty for the intended buyers.
they ripped off the ls400 big time. the steering wheel/seats/door cards are almost identical, so is the back of the car. if they were original in their design they might have sold more.
1sy of all this Q45 was a LIE! The Y33 was the WORST Q45 ever made! Why wasn't it called the Q41?! It had a 4.1 V8 which 267 hp and 268 ft lbs of torque which had much less hp and torque than the VH45DE 4494cc 4.5 V8 280 hp and 292 ft lbs of torque The G50 Q45 November 1989-June 1996 was the absolute best Q45 ever made. The 1st years of the Q45 1990-1993 were really good cars with the 2 optional tone leather interior and in 1994-1996 they had a completely redesigned interior and I updated Speedometer and Tachometer along with wood around the interior door handles with chrome interior door handles unlike the 1990-1993 Q45's black interior door handles. Ive owned 8 1990- 1996 G50 Q45's and they're better cars in every aspect the 1997 Y33 Q45 was my absolute least favorite among ALL Q45s
Did you watch the video? Power might have been down in this model compared to the 1st generation, but weight was down as well. That made this model faster and more efficient, so the dip in power is a moot point. As for the name, Mercedes and BMW had divorced their cars' names from the actual engine size, for over a decade by 1997. Being two of the benchmarks in the luxury segment, Infiniti would not have seen any issue in naming this model a Q45 despite the smaller engine. Especially, as I mentioned before, when it's able to outperform the original Q45 anyway
No, that was the LS 400. This car never sold well at all. You know Nissan is desperate when the second version has a smaller engine with less power than the original
@@gedaman nobody really noticed the Q45 actually. Especially with those ridiculous commercials in the beginning where they showed everything but the car. And the first version didn't have a grill. Exactly what people spend a lot of money on a car want.
This 1996-2000 Infiniti Q45 car is available on the Indonesian market, namely in Batam, Kepri, and this Q45 car is also available in Jakarta-Surabaya. This car is a storage car for artists, officials Government , and antique car collectors. Because the comfort, toughness and safety of this car is equivalent to a European car, it has a smart entry key and an original Infiniti q45 alarm, right-hand drive, CBU Japan
@@sailordave1000Nissan being owned by Renault gives them an advantage over Toyota and Honda when It pertains to its interior quality. Look at recent Lexus and Acura interiors and compare it to Infiniti, especially the Infiniti QX60. Lexus interiors look cheap and are not as prestigious looking as they were in the early 2000s.
@@Wasabi9111Not applicable in the 90s for Nissan. While you were enjoying the 90s, Japan was struggling to rebound and it nearly killed Nissan, not to mention mismanagement and corruption of Nissan USA draining finances back then too.
Nissan was already struggling by this point. Rose tinted glasses, considering the G35 had been in development since 1994 and was on ice at this point due to limited finances. Nissan lost so much money by 1992 and this Q was the result of those struggles. Next gen tried to lead an Infiniti renaissance and ultimately failed, unlike the cars below it.
Too generic looking and lacked the commitment/intentionality Toyota put behind the Lexus LS line. It was a quality car, but good personality can only take you so far.
Zero sense for a President. It was the first car with rear-seat airbag, but the chauffeur class market was dominated by the American land yachts or MB S-Class (Manhattan only). MB carved out a spot for themselves and made everyone else virtually irrelevant, as SUVs took over shuttling duties.
@@runoflife87 You talk about the President as if Toyota didn’t have a Nissan President competitor in the Toyota Century (also not sold here)? They did, but not the right market and too expensive. President would rival the W140 S-Class in price and be prohibitively expensive stateside. MB made that mistake themselves in 1991, downsized by 1999, and then moved that class of vehicle to the Maybach 57 by the early 2000s. Then later upgraded S-Class Maybach versions in the 2010s once the S nameplate had built up 5 decades of legacy as a known high tech chauffeur mobile. President had no such heritage nor Infiniti brand to make it possible the right nameplate outside of Q45, to be sold in USA. It would be nothing more than a high spec Q45 under the same badge and struggle to sell at $70-80k in 90s money against BMW 750 V12s and S500s.
$48,395 and $50,395 in September 1996 is equivalent in September 2024 to $96,650 and $100,640 in inflation adjusted figures, per the September 1996 tape date and 16 October 1996 airdate.
This is the Q45 that I would not recommend. It lied about what engine it was using. It had less horsepower than the previous one which was a big no-no back in the day. It was also smaller. Unacceptable!!!
@@johnnymason2460 Cost cutting, because the Q45 had become very expensive by 1995-96. Today, the 1997 Q45 base price of $48,395 in September 1996 is equivalent to $100k in September 2024. The 1996 Q45 was much more expensive than the ‘97 at almost $60k ($110k today), but had more expensive engineering in it. The same car formed the basis of the JDM Nissan President limousine, so Nissan needed to separate them and cut corners by relying on the cheaper JDM Cima, being redesigned sooner. In 1992, Nissan didn’t want to spend the money to make a truly new Q45, until about 1996 for the 3rd generation model due in 2001. So Nissan used a JDM Cima redesign instead with smaller engine and kept the fancier JDM President version in production until 2000. It was a bait and switch, until the ‘02 model.
Summer of 1996. I'm a recent high school graduate who's working as a car porter/car washer at Joe Bullard Luxury Car Center (Jaguar, Infiniti and Volvo) in Mobile, Ala. I remember when these new Q45s arrived.
I'm younger so I wasn't even alive, but it seems 96 was a good year for cars. If you had the money back then there were some incredible choices.
Of the different cars you got to drive, which one was your favorite?
I’d say two. The Jaguar R trim models (XJR and XKR).
Love this historical account, thanks for sharing!
@@AsiaWatson-ln9gk ???? Come again? W Nash St? I don't understand.
Back when Nissan was still known for quality rather than "big Altima Energy"
I remember my childhood spent riding around in an Infiniti G20 loaner car because my dad's 97 Q45 was constantly broken down. We switched to Acura forever after that.
TBH, the Altima wasn't as big in the 90's as it became in 2002. So even if there was some form of "Altima Energy", it definitely wasn't "big"😂.
Means nothing when it's not profitable. They would have done without the French
Back when we could say,”my Nissan is only at 150,000 miles.”
Today we say, “my Nissan broke down before 60,000 miles.”
Q45 was one of their best models ever
This car brings back memories. I remember my neighbor had a 1997 q45 which she drove for over 20 years. It was a rather unique vehicle but due to it being so uncommon i thought it was the coolest car Ive ever seen i absolutely love the looks of this generation Infiniti q45
It is interesting how the Lexus was everywhere, yet I really saw the Q45 on the road
@@Wasabi9111maybe you saw more than you thought 🤷🏼♂️ they look similar enough to not be able to tell a difference at a glance
I love the Q45 in the 90s and the 2 door Acura Legend
I had a 2 door '90 Legend with the 5-speed up until 2005, I got rid of it only because it was getting rusty and I didn't want to drive a hooptie
1:21 The Flinstones theme on the stereo
Nice micro-tuned ear! 😂 You must be like me and am always interested in what is playing on the radio.
GRAND DAD
This car is so slept on outside of the VIP scene, I dont think people appreciate this car enough. It was pretty much and still is overshadowed by Lexus' reputation and this thing is extremely reliable
Back when Infiniti made competitive, fun to drive cars. Now their lineup consists of mostly VC turbos and CVTs.
Hell.. Even just a Nissan.. The Sentra SE-R, 200sx, 240sx, pulsar, hard body trucks, the 4DSC maxima, stanza, even the quest minivan was interesting.. Now it has no soul it's all boring.. 😢
The Infiniti Q45/Nissan Cima was very popular for VIP styled builds.
Loved my 1994 Q45. Nice 4.5 liter V-8 and a high end interior. Rear wheel drive - what’s not to like.
The interior back then was very bland and boring. It didn’t look much better than a Maxima at the time.
I had a emerald green 1994 Q45t it was a fuckin badass car and I've owned 8 1990-1996 Q45s all together ❤
At least your 1994 Q45 had the right engine. I can understand that.
@@gedamanNissan favored in 1986 the less is more design philosophy and an extension of the design themes in the 300ZX and R32 Skyline. They were trying to avoid the stuffy, ostentatious luxury of Jaguars and Rolls Royce.
Wasn’t easy to change course in 1990-91 for the ‘94 model. Lots of budget cuts for this Q41 designed in 1992-1993.
@@nwezetx1 Haha, Q41. That just doesn’t sound as good as Q45, does it? Every now and then I see a late ‘90s Q45. I like the styling. It reminds me of the 1999 I30 I used to have. Nissan really missed the mark with the styling on the original Q45 in 1989. Instead of a grille they had a big Infiniti badge that looked like a weird Texas belt buckle. It perplexed everyone.
Come to think of it, Infiniti actually had better built vehicles than of the Acuras of the same era. Rear wheel drive alone is a high point.
These were pigs of fuel…maybe 15-17 mpg at best combined mileage. They depreciated like a German car and were destroyed when $10K car buyers bought them around 2005 and tried to operate them on a $10K car budget. The timing chain job is very labor intensive and now exceeds 30% of what the whole car is worth so they are all economically totaled at this point unless it is a collector grade car. However, they are better than any new Nissan product these days. The 10th anniversary model and Q45T added stuff like adjustable suspension, bigger wheels, xenon headlamps, and the strip of plastic on the trunk called a spoiler to attract people but it did not work out. The next model in 2002 failed even worse which is tragic because so much R&D went into them such as having the most powerful headlight illumination in the world then and acoustic engineers having spent massive amounts of time to develop the interior design for a quiet ride and superb performance from the audio system. Within 5-8 years from new they were all on the ghetto car lots with buy here pay here at 15% APR.
A lot of technology went into the next generation model F50, including the first backup camera in USA in April 2001.
Marketing wasn’t consistent after initial rollout in 2001.
You are so right about that!😂😂
@@texan176 I can agree to this. I bought my 98. Paid $2500 at a lot called “it is what it is” auto sales in Oakland California. Was parked behind a razor wire fence with guard dogs.
Ill always remember my bf's friend who just bought a brand new Q45a and was proudly showing it off. It was a space ship to me. I never liked the mini grill they put on vs the flat emblem on the OG. Its a shame Nissan doesn't support their cars. Getting replacement parts for this is and others are an impossible task. Why you don't see any on the road. Remember the J30? Yea...
Had a new G20 in 1995 and had it in for service the loaner they gave me was a Q45. It was such a nice car! I would have loved to have had one but the price was way out of my league. The G20 was a fun car to drive and for a small car it had a very smooth ride. Sold it to an older lady in my church and she drove it for 20 years.
I owned one just like this! It was...Fine. Very classy looking and smooth, but drove like a Japanese Buick.
Literally just got mine washed yesterday. This is kinda spooky.
Congratulations on your purchase
The grille improved the Q45’s looks
Background music was so bad it’s amazing
Harmonica , reminded me of the OG Sesame Street closing theme song
I wish they would come out with a 80s and 90s soundtrack or something. I would totally buy it.
Best car I ever owned was a 2006 Infiniti G35. I would not buy any Nissan or Infiniti today however.
@@Audiophanatic6365 I don’t think many other people would either. Instead of redesigning the Q50 they’d rather just let it die.
Infiniti was always playing second fiddle to Acura and Lexus. They never seemed to make designs that were well adopted. This continues to today where the brand, like Nissan is just barely hanging on.
I have loved the Q45 from its debut in '89 and the revamping of it until it was dropped from the Infiniti lineup. After watching the Stephen King film "Thinner", seeing the Q45 in the film are my favourite scenes.
2:42 jesus...did it just hop down that hill? It almost looks like it 😂.
I looked at buying one of these a few year ago, great looking car. But none of my Mechanic friends knew anything about them, most hadn't even hear of the 4.1 V8.....they were asking just a little too much money....
I've always liked these cars. Very classy looking.
They definitely continued the trend of the tires not being wide enough, lol.
This to me always was and still is, a “dad” car. At first glance you wouldn’t think, but for some reason that’s who always had it and still does, dad types, now grandfathers, guys over 50.
When I see an old one driving around it’s always an older guy behind the wheel.
My mom got one in silver 🥈 for Xmas 🎄 from my dad! Moms was happy! 👏👌😎
Japanese version of the Lincoln Towncar, and that's a good thing!
This Q45 makes me think of my mom’s cousin; who had several of these and other Infinitis since.
I love this model ❤
Had a 94 touring version with rear wheel steering. I miss it.
Motorweek tested a 1994 Buick Roadmaster with the LT1 350. 0-60 was accomplished in 6.9 seconds. With the grand touring suspension handled just as well as the Q45 for half the price. Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?
2 different targeted audiences
I preferred the original’s outside look but this interior was nicer
The “T” version was of pure greatness.
Thank you Q45 for being a differential upgrade for 240sx drivers everywhere 😎
Slaw team activity.
I used to love these cars. They were fantastic ❤
When I was 3 years old, this car released
Oh, so you were born in 1993? This is 1996.
Shoutout to Nas!
I had 94 Acura Legend GS That was the Peak of Legends, This Q45 to me is Yhe V8 Legend That Should Have Been
In Japan, this car was called the Nissan Cima
Um, okay. Very common knowledge to most watching MotorWeek…
A Nissan já teve seus dias de glória!!!! Que carro fantástico!!!!
The driver turned a sharp corner there at the very end.
This car is fantastic so was the G35 I took that thing through mud in a hurricane and then through snow when I moved north
The last gen q45 0-60 was in the low 7’s
that rear antenna looks comically too tall
This was back when sedans had an actual trunk and not a hatch.
Music reminds me of "They Live"
My brain was hearing the Sanford and Son theme song 😅
Nice car, but the redesign for Q45 was a huge step down in attractiveness.
Both Honda and Nissan observed what Lexus did with the W124 E-Class and W126 S-Class, so they copied the new W140 S-Class of 1991 and incorporated that styling in 1993 for their next gen cars in due by 1996.
Case in point, the 1996 Acura 3.5RL and 1996.5 (97) Infiniti Q41. The next generation cars, the Q45 of 2001 and RL of 2004, went heavier on technology and design, but ultimately flopped.
The bubble headlights!!!!? Shit that was hideous.
My favorite Infiniti ❤❤❤
The Japanese Lincoln Town Car with the Cadillac Deville copycat interior. These cars were overlooked when they came out about 26 years ago. Infiniti didn’t really kick in until the 2003 G35 came out. I still enjoyed my 1999 I30 as a used car though.
26 years ago? This is episode is from 1996, what are you even talking about?
Also, Nissan designed this interior interior in 1993, so which Deville did they even copy?
@@nwezetx1 You’ve gotta admit it looks a lot like a Cadillac Deville from the late ‘90s.
@gedaman You can think anything looks like something else, But it's quite uninformed and misguided to accuse Infiniti of a copycat interior, considering the design work was done in the early 90s and that Cadillac Deville you keep referring to is supposedly newer.
@@nwezetx1 I’m talking about the Cadillac Deville from 1994. I think Nissan copied it.
@@gedaman What do you think happened at Nissan? When and how? This Q45 interior was designed from 1992 to 1993. I have the development portfolio on the Y33 program, with internal timeline info.
Cars are not designed last minute due to vast engineering requirements and regulations.
So, how do you think it's possible against Cadillac?
Design freezes, are when final styling decisions conclude at 99% identical to the production model. Design freeze occurred at 30 months before Job 1 for Nissan back then and the basic design itself is finalized 3 years ahead. '97 model production began in June 1996, so 3 years ahead is mid-1993. Matches internal info.
Doesn't seem like copying is possible if you say that vehicle is from 1994 instead...
I know the real story about both cars, but I am still curious as to what *you* truly think was possible for Nissan to copy at Cadillac in 1993?
The newest QX80 design was finished in 2021, yet barely in dealers now as a 2025 model. I intensely dislike copycat allegations, if they are unfounded on the basis of no concrete proof.
I can't accuse someone of copying someone else, if I don't have proof of when they started and finalized their own work. Cars are designed 3-6 years before release, not the year before. 2025s today were finished no later than 2022.
There might be a better case example you have at Cadillac, which I've found, but won't mention.
Still loved the original best; this generation seemed a bit "blah".
Incredible how Infiniti lost its footing as the Japanese BMW, they had some very competitive products. That's what bad leadership can do to a brand
It’s too bad Infiniti never got traction… They were nice cars in the 90s… it’s like Nissan just gave up on them
@@1mpulv Yes indeed. Infiniti is expensive to run, if the JDM cannot support certain products in volume. Lexus struggles in the same respects today.
Always had the 2nd tier status to Lexus from the get-go. Q45 never had the same panache as the LS400. Lexus also had much better success with the SUV craze later in the 2000s.
@oldtwinsna8347 That's debatable about SUVs. Lexus only had the RX as a sales juggernaut. Problem was Nissan kept the Murano of 2002 for Nissan and refused to offer it as an Infiniti IX35, simply because Ghosn wanted Infiniti as RWD only by 2005.
Nissan designers were literally in 1998-99 inspired by the RX 300. Executives decided to go BMW like, with the FX 35/45 instead and created the first coupelike crossover, to be less cookie cutter.
Infiniti didn't succeed as much as Lexus, but the FX sold very well in the 2000s in a segment Lexus did not play in. QX56 sold better than the LX470 and 570, but less than the smaller GX470. QX4 also beat the RX300 to market in 1996, being a unibody crossover.
Infiniti had issues in terms of consistency, particularly with the Q45 late 1989 marketing campaign.
After that, the real issue was the design being too unconventional for American tastes. The nearly 4 years it took to update the car, was much too long. Lexus by comparison, updated the LS 400 within 3 years of release and full redesign at 5 years. Nissan took almost 7 years and landed with a metoo product, regressively executed.
The one time to correct course and make an impact, they once again failed with design. The 3rd generation car was perfect, but again too unconventional because the headlights while innovative, were as polarizing as the "Bangle Butt" from being so ungainly.
Infiniti dealers had gotten used to understocking the bland 2nd gen cars by 1999, that each dealer only received 1-2 Q45s for long periods. If you wanted one, it had to be special ordered.
@@nwezetx1 how do current Infiniti dealers survive? I don’t even know what product they have left. This is form a prior q50 owner. It was a mediocre car at best. We got it bc of the ultra cheap lease deal.
I bet some of these have probably been used for VIP builds later down the line
Unfortunately
This car is for when the Yakuza come calling. Would love to build a vip q45/president
Its ashame Infiniti has declined over the Decades.
I can’t remember the last time I saw an Infiniti on the road.
@@Wasabi9111Stop trolling lol. One would be blind to not see at least one or in the sticks. There are Q50s aplenty after being in production for 11 years, plus plenty more of SUVs.
I liked the original better. This one fades a little into the blend with its anonymous look. But still a great car
Good car
The interior looks very Cadillacish.
Based on what? There has to be credible context for such a claim and not just unfounded opinion. Any Cadillac you’re referring to must be older than a certain point in time and that wouldn’t be close to 1996-97.
Nissan designed that interior over 30 years ago in the early 90s.
@@nwezetx1…they obviously meant the Cadillac interior of that era, and they’re correct because that’s exactly what Infiniti was aiming to emulate. Looks like a 90s Deville/Seville.
@VideoAmericanStyle Your opinions do not mean much, if wasn't possible for Nissan to use that Cadillac design as a reference. I have the background information on development of this car and the Cadillac in question. Do you or the OP? I doubt it.
Problem is, most of you casual commenters assume you know, how and when cars are designed. Tell me when Cadillac released the design in question and when Nissan designed this very vehicle?
That information I'm privy to, but a lot of you won't bother to be certain and comment out of ignorance, providing zero proof that can't be refuted.
Prove that Nissan "emulated" that design and had enough time to do so. This car went into production in June 1996, so there's only so much time to design and engineer it for prototyping and verification.
Many of you are so presumptuous regarding automotive design, when often you guys are unaware how long it takes and the timelines involved. It is unfair to accuse an automaker of being derivative, if you have zero evidence.
@@VideoAmericanStyle 🎯🎯🎯
@@maclac48 I understand what you meant in your original comment - the interior clearly takes cues from that era’s Deville/Seville. Ignore that other poster - they’re an insufferable douchebag with way too much free time. They arrogantly crap on everyone’s comments on this channel and thinks they know much more than they actually do. Or it’s some AI bot mining for information. Either way, best to ignore and enjoy the videos instead! 🚙
What a beauty👏
Ah, the short lived success of the Q45. The original was the best version, but the quality just wasn't there compared to Acura and Lexus. Then they made it more boring and it just couldn't compete.
These were beautiful cars but they did have a downsized engine compared to first gen. But still, a great car. Zero to 60 in 8 sec wasn't fast even than, but certainly plenty for the intended buyers.
The 1st Q was a better car
The beginning of the end for the Q45. What a pitiful follow up to the original.
they ripped off the ls400 big time. the steering wheel/seats/door cards are almost identical, so is the back of the car.
if they were original in their design they might have sold more.
More Bentley than bonsai 😂😂😂😂😂
Back To Basics
The old Nissan cars were built well they had toyota quality
1sy of all this Q45 was a LIE! The Y33 was the WORST Q45 ever made! Why wasn't it called the Q41?! It had a 4.1 V8 which 267 hp and 268 ft lbs of torque which had much less hp and torque than the VH45DE 4494cc 4.5 V8 280 hp and 292 ft lbs of torque The G50 Q45 November 1989-June 1996 was the absolute best Q45 ever made. The 1st years of the Q45 1990-1993 were really good cars with the 2 optional tone leather interior and in 1994-1996 they had a completely redesigned interior and I updated Speedometer and Tachometer along with wood around the interior door handles with chrome interior door handles unlike the 1990-1993 Q45's black interior door handles. Ive owned 8 1990- 1996 G50 Q45's and they're better cars in every aspect the 1997 Y33 Q45 was my absolute least favorite among ALL Q45s
Did you watch the video? Power might have been down in this model compared to the 1st generation, but weight was down as well. That made this model faster and more efficient, so the dip in power is a moot point. As for the name, Mercedes and BMW had divorced their cars' names from the actual engine size, for over a decade by 1997. Being two of the benchmarks in the luxury segment, Infiniti would not have seen any issue in naming this model a Q45 despite the smaller engine. Especially, as I mentioned before, when it's able to outperform the original Q45 anyway
Sesame Street Harmonica.
This was the car that put the Germans on notice and sent them back to the drawing board!
By not selling well?
The LS was that car, not the Q45.
No, that was the LS 400. This car never sold well at all. You know Nissan is desperate when the second version has a smaller engine with less power than the original
The Germans didn’t even notice the Q45 really. It was the 1990 Lexus LS 400 that sent shockwaves through the German luxury car industry.
@@gedaman nobody really noticed the Q45 actually. Especially with those ridiculous commercials in the beginning where they showed everything but the car. And the first version didn't have a grill. Exactly what people spend a lot of money on a car want.
What a letdown. Boring design. Boring drive. The Lexus LS laughed at these.
It's a perfectly nice car but a step down from the original.
This 1996-2000 Infiniti Q45 car is available on the Indonesian market, namely in Batam, Kepri, and this Q45 car is also available in Jakarta-Surabaya. This car is a storage car for artists, officials Government , and antique car collectors. Because the comfort, toughness and safety of this car is equivalent to a European car, it has a smart entry key and an original Infiniti q45 alarm, right-hand drive, CBU Japan
266hp/278tq and only 0-60 in 8.1 seconds? Thing must weigh 2 tons.
3900lbs give or take.
4 speed auto with long gearing tuned for quiet ride low revs and more mpg's is the culprit. Easily shave off a full second with a modern auto box.
This is when Nissan was almost like Mercedes
Remember a time when Nissan was so great that they once considered buying Honda? Now they’ve dropped far from their prime in reputation and quality.
The same could be said for Toyota and Honda. Most of the Japanese brands were pretty amazing in the 90s.
@@Wasabi9111 Toyota and Honda aren’t owned by a foreign (non-Japanese) corporation.
@@sailordave1000Nissan being owned by Renault gives them an advantage over Toyota and Honda when It pertains to its interior quality. Look at recent Lexus and Acura interiors and compare it to Infiniti, especially the Infiniti QX60. Lexus interiors look cheap and are not as prestigious looking as they were in the early 2000s.
@@Wasabi9111Not applicable in the 90s for Nissan. While you were enjoying the 90s, Japan was struggling to rebound and it nearly killed Nissan, not to mention mismanagement and corruption of Nissan USA draining finances back then too.
Nissan was already struggling by this point. Rose tinted glasses, considering the G35 had been in development since 1994 and was on ice at this point due to limited finances. Nissan lost so much money by 1992 and this Q was the result of those struggles.
Next gen tried to lead an Infiniti renaissance and ultimately failed, unlike the cars below it.
Too generic looking and lacked the commitment/intentionality Toyota put behind the Lexus LS line. It was a quality car, but good personality can only take you so far.
"Nice try." -Lexus
A shame that Infiniti is basically a defunct brand now, a sad shadow of its former self…
Honda civic steering wheel
they tried to copy lexus
And Lexus copied Mercedes, not saying much
I remember this version. It was a disappointing and mediocre installment
Installment? Was this translated or something or are you talking about payments?
@@nwezetx1 installment as " latest installment in the Infiniti Q franchise"
Vroooom
Well, not the most luxurious Nissan car. But they never decided to bring the President to U.S market.
Zero sense for a President. It was the first car with rear-seat airbag, but the chauffeur class market was dominated by the American land yachts or MB S-Class (Manhattan only).
MB carved out a spot for themselves and made everyone else virtually irrelevant, as SUVs took over shuttling duties.
@@nwezetx1 the President colud've competed with land yachts being more nimble ang offering some interesting options.
@@runoflife87 You talk about the President as if Toyota didn’t have a Nissan President competitor in the Toyota Century (also not sold here)?
They did, but not the right market and too expensive. President would rival the W140 S-Class in price and be prohibitively expensive stateside.
MB made that mistake themselves in 1991, downsized by 1999, and then moved that class of vehicle to the Maybach 57 by the early 2000s.
Then later upgraded S-Class Maybach versions in the 2010s once the S nameplate had built up 5 decades of legacy as a known high tech chauffeur mobile.
President had no such heritage nor Infiniti brand to make it possible the right nameplate outside of Q45, to be sold in USA. It would be nothing more than a high spec Q45 under the same badge and struggle to sell at $70-80k in 90s money against BMW 750 V12s and S500s.
The second gen was a flop. Much worse then the first gen
$48,395 and $50,395 in September 1996 is equivalent in September 2024 to $96,650 and $100,640 in inflation adjusted figures, per the September 1996 tape date and 16 October 1996 airdate.
This is the Q45 that I would not recommend. It lied about what engine it was using. It had less horsepower than the previous one which was a big no-no back in the day. It was also smaller. Unacceptable!!!
@@johnnymason2460 Cost cutting, because the Q45 had become very expensive by 1995-96. Today, the 1997 Q45 base price of $48,395 in September 1996 is equivalent to $100k in September 2024.
The 1996 Q45 was much more expensive than the ‘97 at almost $60k ($110k today), but had more expensive engineering in it. The same car formed the basis of the JDM Nissan President limousine, so Nissan needed to separate them and cut corners by relying on the cheaper JDM Cima, being redesigned sooner.
In 1992, Nissan didn’t want to spend the money to make a truly new Q45, until about 1996 for the 3rd generation model due in 2001. So Nissan used a JDM Cima redesign instead with smaller engine and kept the fancier JDM President version in production until 2000.
It was a bait and switch, until the ‘02 model.
Junko
The Japanese cannot make a V8
Uhhhh yes they can, the only one that doesn't is Honda/Acura & Subaru.
And an extremely reliable one at that!!
Lexus makes incredible V-8s still
@@v12kingV10 Lexus doesn't make any engines, Toyota makes them. Just so you know* lol
@@user-sk1eh3pg6j They make their Lexus engines in their Lexus plants. Go eat paste