The Forgotten Japanese Sleeper Sedan That Combined V-8 Muscle With Luxury

Summary

• The Infiniti M45, a forgotten mid-size luxury sedan, combined muscle and luxury with its loud V-8 engine but failed to capture the American public’s imagination.
• The M45’s 4.5-liter V-8 produced 340 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque, outperforming its pricier sibling, the Infiniti Q45.
• Despite its unique retro-inspired styling and rare status with only around 8,000 sold, the Infiniti M45 is an underappreciated gem that can be purchased at a very affordable price.

The muscle car is quintessentially American. Manufacturers worldwide have attempted to produce their interpretations of the muscle car to varying success: British automaker, Jensen employed Chrysler V-8 engines to build the famous Jensen Interceptor; Holden relied on its affiliation with GM to produce the Holden Monaro. The Monaro and the Interceptor deservedly made our list of the 10 best non-American muscle cars.

One car that unluckily missed the cut was the Infiniti M45. It lasted only two model years – 2003 and 2004 – and wasn’t a sales success. Therefore, it’s easy to see why it flew under the radar. Looking at it now, however, it’s somewhat surprising that a mid-size luxury car from Infiniti, that came with a loud V-8 upfront failed to capture the American public’s imagination. Here’s everything about the forgotten V-8 Japanese sedan that combined muscle and luxury.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Autoweek, Forbes, MotorTrend, and classic.com.

The Infiniti M45 Was Quicker Than Its Pricier Sibling, The Infiniti Q45

Infiniti, a luxury automaker that was and still is struggling to establish a clear brand identity, sought to capitalize on an increase in sales from 2001 to 2002 by introducing the M45, a mid-size sedan occupying the space between the smaller G35 and I35 sedans and the bigger, pricier Q45. One of its selling points was a 4.5-liter V-8 nestling under the long hood.

The M45’s 4.5-liter V-8 Produced 340 Horsepower And 333 Pound-Feet

The Infiniti M45 featured the same 4.5-liter V-8 mill powering the flagship Q45. The new mid-size sedan and the flagship Q45 had similar engines, as Infiniti didn’t detune the M45’s mill to produce less power. It risked devaluing the Q-ship by introducing a cheaper sedan that could outperform the automaker’s showcase model.

As expected, the lighter M45 outperformed its heftier sibling, clearing the 60 MPH dash 0.2 seconds faster than the Q45. The new car completed the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 96 MPH, while the grizzled Q45 covered the same distance in 15.2 seconds at 93.5 MPH. The M45 was faster partly because it weighed around 130 pounds less than the Q45.

The M45’s V-8 paired with a five-speed automatic with manual shifting tuned to upshift at predesignated speeds. It might have performed better in a straight line had the slushbox held on to gears a bit longer. The vehicle’s high-performance rear tires sometimes suffered as they tried to provide traction for hard acceleration.

Infiniti’s decision to use a V-8 in its mid-size sedan made sense. Few, if any, luxury sedan automakers offered a V-8 mill at the Infiniti M45’s price; the best you could get at that price was an inline-six mill. The M45 was, therefore, an affordable way for buyers to get a luxury sedan with a V-8 engine.

Performance Specifications

(Specs: Infiniti)

The M45 Featured Multilink Rear Suspension And Independent Struts Upfront

For 2002, the M45 was rapid in a straight line. It also had the hardware and tech to perform well around corners. It featured fore-and-aft anti-roll bars to minimize roll during cornering; standard stability control helped drivers maintain a steady course during performance runs and on tricky road surfaces.

Unlike in modern Infiniti models, you could disable the stability control completely in the Infiniti M45. Without the onboard computer holding you back, you could engage in as much sideways action as the tires could take. However, the M45 didn’t offer the driving dynamics of a sports car: it was too heavy, with the front axle bearing most of the car’s mass, and its steering was too vague, as reported by Autoweek.

The Infiniti M45 Had A Tech-Filled Luxury Interior With Many Standard And Optional Features

Though the highlight of the Infiniti M45 was its V-8, it also featured a dazzling interior with a slew of optional and standard features. Infiniti did an excellent job outfitting the M45’s interior.

Standard Features Included Front Leather Bucket Seats

The first-generation Infiniti M model dubbed the M30, was an embarrassment for Infiniti. Marketed as a cheaper alternative to the Q45, the M30 coupe was cramped and outdated. It was a stopgap model that was scrapped as soon as the Infiniti J30 debuted in 1992. Having learned from past mistakes, Infiniti took its time designing the M45’s interior.

Leather and graphite color maple wood trim lined the M45’s luxurious cabin. Amber lighting accented the sedan’s performance-oriented instrument cluster. The mid-size offering also featured a seven-speaker sound system and a six-disc CD changer. Other standard features included automatic dual-zone temperature control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Infiniti’s unique analog clock. The M45 also featured a high-mounted LCD screen.

The new mid-size sedan came stacked with standard features, negating the need for optional extras. (Infiniti repeated the trick with the first-gen Infiniti Q50, one of the longest-running models on the automaker’s lineup). Rarely do luxury sedan customers pay the sticker price advertised by the manufacturer. Automakers often offer key features as optional to keep the MSRP down, attracting customers who end up paying extra for the features. The Infiniti M45 was an outlier in that the most important features were available as standard.

Infiniti M45 Optional Features

• Upgraded LCD display
• Intelligent cruise control
• Climate control seats
• Voice recognition system
• Natural-color maple wood trim
• Sunroof

The M45’s Understated Styling Was Its Achilles Heel

The Infiniti M45 not only sounded like an American muscle car, with its performance exhaust amplifying the V-8’s roar, but also looked like one. Yes, looks are subjective, but featuring a beveled front and rear, bulging fenders, a long hood, and a lengthy overhanging tail, I feel that the M45 looked like a product from Detroit.

The M45 Was Based On The JDM Nissan Gloria Sedan

Most Infiniti offerings during the brand’s early days were slightly restyled JDM cars with an Infiniti badge on the grille. The M45, for instance, was based on the Nissan Gloria, a rather dreary yet striking V-6 sedan used to ferry executives in Japan. The M45’s retro-inspired styling set it apart from its competitors – nothing else in the segment looked and sounded like it did.

The M45’s Looks Impacted Sales

The M45’s unique, retro looks were polarizing. Despite standing out, the M45 was a sales failure, partly because of the way it looked. With its conventional styling, the next-gen M model was infinitely more popular than the M45, suggesting that the luxury sedan buyers in the market for mid-size offerings weren’t impressed with the M45’s long, retro-inspired body.

You Can Buy An Infinite M45 For As Low As $3,800

The Infiniti M45’s low prices on the used car market demonstrated that it’s still underappreciated. It definitely is one of the best sleeper cars on the market.

Infiniti Sold Around 8,000 M45s

Infiniti sold 8,067 examples of the 2003 and 2004 Infiniti M45s stateside, making it quite a rare car; chances are that most people you encounter while driving the M45 won’t recognize it. The M45 was a sales disaster for Infiniti. Despite having the tools to become an unqualified success, it became an abject sales failure.

The Infiniti M45 Is An Underappreciated Gem

Despite its rarity, the Infiniti M45 is very affordable: used examples often trade in the mid-four-figure range. You will stand out driving a loud, retro-styled, rare luxury sedan with a V-8 under the hood. Moreover, you need not worry about parts availability, as the M45 shares many parts with Nissan models. The M45 could be a future classic – and even if it doesn’t achieve classic status, it should prove to be a very shrewd purchase.