Infiniti’s First Car Was An Admirable Failure
Can you be remembered for what you don’t do? Nissan asked this question when they set out to create a luxury sedan. Cars of this nature were defined by excess. Massive grilles, swathes of chrome, and opulent interior wood trim were essential parts of the formula. It had been this way for nearly a century, and with the level of success that they found, there was little incentive for them to change. Instead of following in the footsteps of the others, Nissan forged their own path.
They felt the ornamentation that characterized upscale cars took attention from what actually mattered. By stripping that away, the true merits of the car would rise to the surface. Other companies tried to conceal their heritage, but Nissan’s car would be proudly Japanese. This would influence everything, from the design of the showrooms to their marketing and even the badge on the front of the car. It would be focused, purposeful, and true to itself. Welcome to a different idea of luxury. Welcome to Infiniti.
HORIZON
Luxury cars weren’t anything new for Nissan. They were even more familiar with them than their rival Toyota. They began building the full-size president in 1965. The merger with Prince Motor Company brought the Gloria and Skyline into the fold. By the mid-80s they had a portfolio of upscale offerings that most automakers would be proud to have. When the prospect of selling a luxury car in the United States emerged in the middle of the decade, Nissan didn’t think they’d have much trouble fielding a competitive entrant. The question was whether it would be financially viable to do so in that market.
They established the Horizon Task Force in 1985 to find the answer. It was led by styling veteran Takashi Oka and consisted of executives from engineering, design, marketing, and sales. Nissan surveyed America’s automotive landscape and took note of the kinds of cars that were on offer there.
Takashi Oka. Infiniti Pressroom
Traditional luxury cars had conservative styling, large amounts of interior space, and an emphasis on ride comfort. The high-style luxury segment had more adventurous sheet metal and appealed to a younger customer base, but still had an emphasis on practicality. Nissan targeted the functional luxury segment. These cars were defined by their exceptional driving dynamics and their youthful target audience. It’s a pretty crowded segment, so how would Nissan separate their car from all of the others? They decided to lean into performance more than comfort.
This is a similar process that Toyota went through when they were designing the Lexus LS400 though the customer segments that they identified were slightly different. They split them up into older buyers that were fiercely loyal to American makes, younger buyers that liked sporty European sedans, and wealthy individuals that valued a stress-free ownership experience above everything else. The contrasting approaches that these two companies took can be traced back to these initial steps.
Going back to Toyota’s market research, they targeted the last group in their roundup and formed their entire strategy around this. Styling and advertising were conservative in order to appeal to this segment of customers. There isn’t an exact match here for Nissan’s “functional luxury” block, but their values align the most with Toyota’s second demographic. These were younger people who would probably appreciate something more unconventional. The decision to target this sector of customers no doubt influenced the direction that Nissan would take their luxury sedan.
The Horizon Task Force identified a fourth customer base: Generation Z. This probably isn’t what you think it is. It encompassed those that grew up idolizing the original 240Z. These individuals wanted a high level of performance in a practical, luxurious package to fit their lifestyles.
1969 Nissan Fairlady Z. Nissan Official Global Newsroom
They had a brief and an avatar. Now they needed an identity. Instead of piggybacking off of other companies or pushing the task off to a third party, Nissan looked within itself and considered what its end goal was. They would probably blend into the background if they took after other makes. It would be easier to stand out if they carried themselves differently. We’ll get into how this philosophy manifested itself in regards to the car and the dealership environment a bit later. At a conceptual level, they weren’t thinking about how things were. They were thinking about how things could be. In a way, they were looking over the horizon of what was possible, into infinity.
DESIGN
Exterior styling was one area where they could differentiate themselves. Thermal solutions had matured so much in the late 80s that conventional radiator grilles weren’t actually required. Even still, the vast majority of cars were equipped with one. They were an easy way to establish a throughline between a model lineup and, to be frank, consumers thought that they looked strange without them. This was especially true at the high end of the market. Luxury car buyers tied themselves to that identity and fully expected their machines to express themselves in that manner. Chief designer Shunji Yamanaka would have been insane to do away with it.
To Infiniti, not having one would have made just as much of an impression as BMW's kidney grille. All of the airflow on the Q45 is handled by an intake hidden on the lower half of the front clip, much like the Studebaker Avanti. This imparts a clean, minimalistic, and purposeful look that certainly sets it apart from the competition.
Infiniti Q45. Infiniti Pressroom
Look closely and you’ll find another glaring omission from the luxury sedan formula. There is a surprising lack of brightwork. It is usually used as an easy way to add presence and draw the eye to select details. Some companies were heavy-handed in their application of the stuff, but buyers appreciated and expected it all the same. Infiniti had taken away almost all of it. The only places that it can be found on the exterior are on the badge, door handles, and daylight opening. The car has a large, six-window DLO that lets lots of light into the interior. Chrome trim around this area draws the eye and gives the unconventional machine a level of approachability.
The door handles fit into the car’s rounded, organic form language, though they do look strange when compared to those from other cars. Why did Infiniti decide to use chrome here? Imparting a premium feel on high-traffic areas is critical for a luxury car. The owner will interact with these more than any other element on the exterior. You might question the execution, but the reasoning is sound.
Infiniti Q45. Infiniti Pressroom
The emblem is perhaps the most intriguing of them all. The chrome trim and bodywork grabs your attention from a distance. The exquisite detailing keeps you there. By this point, most -companies began using plastic badges to save money. Infiniti used a large metal insignia that anchors the front end.
Infiniti officially called it the cloisonne. The name refers to a kind of enamel art that began being practiced in Japan in the mid-1800s. Metal wires are applied to a surface to section off decorative areas. Enamel paste is applied to the partitioned areas before the whole thing is fired and polished.
The overall execution was inspired by maki-e art. According to Gallery Japan, it involves using a fine brush to paint an image with lacquer on a vessel's surface, then sprinkling gold or silver powder on the surface, creating a design. Interestingly, Infiniti’s cloisonné could be ordered in either color as well. The logo is set in front of a winding Karakusa vine pattern. It suggests longevity, prosperity, and luck. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the motif is prominently displayed on Infiniti’s flagship model.
Infiniti Q45 Cloisonné. Infiniti Pressroom
The interior was equally unconventional. Italian furniture house Poltrona Frau contributed to its design. This wasn’t the first automotive project that they had a hand in. Their interiors in motion division launched in the mid-80s and had already done upholstery work for the Lancia Thema 832. As such, the interior of the Q45 resembled a lounging area more than a typical vehicle cockpit. Wood and metal trim were removed in an effort to make a more focused and cohesive seating area. It’s minimal and understated.
Infiniti Q45 Interior. Infiniti Pressroom
Naturally, your eye goes straight to the analog clock in the center console. It’s a fine piece of horology, but I think there’s more to it. The Horizon Task Force surveyed potential customers on what was truly important to them. You might expect them to go to interior creature comforts, brand prestige, or performance metrics, but the answer was actually time. We can’t save it, we can’t get more of it, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Those buyers knew that their time was important and wanted others to value that time just as much, if not more. In this minimalist interior, that detailed, ornate clock embodies the value of time.
Infiniti Q45 Dashboard Clock. Infiniti Pressroom
ENGINEERING
Development of the luxury sedan kicked off during an especially exciting time within The company. This was in the middle of their “901 activity” initiative. Nissan wanted to have the number one performance lineup in Japan by the year 1990. It began in 1985 and resulted in some of their most heralded automobiles and technical innovations, including the R32 GT-R, Z32 300ZX, and the RB26 engine. Nissan’s engineers would be eager to bolster the company’s performance credentials.
The parameters of the power plant were laid out early on. A displacement of 4.5 liters would be just enough to meet their power demands without giving up too much on weight or fuel economy. Infiniti also wanted smooth power delivery from anywhere on the power band. This would be more difficult to achieve than you’d think. Large, high-displacement V8 engines have lots of low-end power, though this tends to level off once at speed. Infiniti sought a compromise; something with adequate off-the-line performance and additional pulling power at speed.
Nissan utilized variable valve timing technology in order to achieve the engine characteristics that it desired. The Nissan Valve Timing Control System, or NVCS, had been employed since 1986. The Infiniti Q45 wasn’t the first of their cars to get it, though it had a lot to gain from its implementation. It achieves the same effects as Honda’s VTEC technology, but the science behind it is a bit different.
Car and Driver says;
The main component of Nissan’s system is a mechanism that allows the intake camshaft to twist relative to its drive pulley. By altering the orientation of the camshaft and its pulley, the system is able to alter the timing of the intake valves. This mechanism consists of a small annular piston-and-cylinder assembly extending from the pulley’s center. The outer surface of the cylinder is fixed to the pulley; the inner surface is formed by an extension of the intake camshaft. The cylinder has helical splines, similar to the rifling in a gun barrel, running along both surfaces–though in opposite directions. The ringlike piston, which moves in the cavity formed by the cylinder’s inner and outer surfaces, has helical grooves that match these splines.
When oil pressure is applied to the head of the piston, it moves inside of the cylinder and, like a nut working its way down a bolt, forces the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder to twist. This results in a phase shift between the timing pulley and the camshaft. When the oil pressure is released, a return spring forces the piston back into its normal position and the camshaft to its original timing.
The oil pressure on the piston is varied by a control valve and a solenoid. In the Q45, these components are located ahead of the pulley. The engine control computer actuates the solenoid at 4600 RPM, causing the intake camshaft to retard 20 degrees, thereby improving high-RPM breathing. When the RPM falls below 4600 RPM, the system returns the camshaft to its advanced position for better low RPM operation.”
The engine also utilized sodium-filled exhaust valves. How do these work and what benefits do they provide? Kevin Cameron from Cycleworld has this to say:
“The basic idea of the internally cooled valve is to make valve head and stem hollow and then to partially (about two-thirds) fill that cavity with a heat transfer liquid that would, by sloshing back and forth as the valve opened and closed, move heat from the very hot (possibly glowing) valve head into the much cooler valve stem, where that heat could be transferred to the valve guide and cylinder head mass.”
Luxury cars had a tendency to completely tune out noises from the outside. This made for a vault-like interior, but it also disengages the driver from the road. Again, Nissan wanted to achieve a happy medium. Only pleasing engine noises would find their way inside the cabin. Vibrations, road turbulence, and other uncomfortable noises would be minimized or outright eliminated. A variety of methods were used to address these issues. Lightweight pistons, cross-valve cooling, reinforced cylinders, and a damper at the front end of the crankshaft encouraged stable, uniform engine behavior. The VH45DE was a world-class engine. It had an official power rating of 278 horsepower and 294 lb-ft of torque.
VH45DE Engine. Infiniti Pressroom
Nissan’s engineering team didn’t stop there. The revolutionary Full Active Suspension became an option for 1991. Instead of typical shock absorbers, there are hydraulic actuators at each wheel. There are six accelerometers and two microcomputers on board to monitor and control the position of the car. According to a 1991 Deseret article, one of the computers regulates the position from side to side during cornering while the other regulates front-to-rear pitch during hard braking and acceleration. Everything is powered by a central, high-pressure hydraulic pump. When the system detects a position that is outside of a specified range, it can adjust the pressure of each actuator to keep the wheels at optimal levels. Body roll is greatly reduced and road imperfections are tackled with ease. Nissan also touted its safety benefits. They said that it would lessen changes in driver posture and line of vision, thereby making casual operation easier and less tiring.
As groundbreaking as the system was, Nissan didn’t think it would be a popular option. It added another $5,000 to the Q45s 1991 $40,000 base price and lowered its MPG rating by 2. Even they predicted that only 15 percent of all models that year would be optioned accordingly. It also didn’t help that the average person would have a difficult time telling a difference. Jan A. Zverina, the author of the aforementioned Deseret article, couldn’t spot a substantial improvement under normal circumstances. It is more pronounced when driven more aggressively, though Zverina still recommended that buyers leave that FAS box unchecked.
A version of Nissan’s Super HICAS 4-wheel steering system was also available as part of the $2,500 touring package. This improved stability even more and further strengthened the Q45s case as a legitimate sports sedan.
ADVERTISING
This unconventional car would have an equally unique advertising campaign. The $50 million Infiniti account was fought over by the country’s top ad agencies. In the end, Hill, Holiday, Connors, Cosmopulos of Boston won out. This was a big move for the firm. While they had been in the business for about 20 years and had billings of about $360 million when they acquired the account, the vast majority of their work had been in the New England area. They were looking to shed their regional image and jumped at the chance to do work for Nissan America, which was based in California. In fact, they opened an office in Los Angeles that would work solely on the Infiniti account.
This is another area where Nissan and Toyota went along a similar path. Both of their offensives had budgets in the $50-60 million dollar range and they both went to copywriting heavyweights to come up with their respective campaigns. Both firms even opened branches on the west coast so that they could keep in close contact with their clients. The parallels ended there. The execution of their ads was shockingly different. I could tell you the ways in which they diverged, but it would be more effective if I showed you.
Lexus was more restrained with its commercial. They showed what they were selling and told you some distinguishing aspects about it. Infiniti took a far more abstract approach. It’s almost like they’re trying to sell you an idea rather than a physical product. This seems nonsensical on the surface. I mean, they’re asking people to hand over tens of thousands of dollars for their car and they didn’t even show the damn thing. What were they thinking?
The truth is that the ads weren’t designed to sell. They were actually meant to create intrigue and build brand awareness. Jack Palmer, the senior vice president of HHCC, said this was the result of their market research. They found that actually showing the Q45 would have made consumers less likely to go to dealerships and find out more about the car. In a December 1989 New York Times article, Palmer emphasized the point that sales are ultimately made in the showroom, not through newspaper copy or television ads.
These certainly bent the rules of advertising, but their radio spots ignored them entirely. HHCC thought it was a good idea to have them entirely comprised of sounds from nature, with no dialogue at the beginning or the end. I wasn’t able to find one of these during my research, but I’m sure you can see where the issue lies. Radio stations despised these because they gave the impression that they’d gone off the air. Some of them even refused to put them on all together. The television ads were unorthodox. The radio ads were just plain stupid.
Ludicrous over-the-air spots notwithstanding, their strategy actually kinda worked. More than 60,000 people called a toll-free number in the ads to find the location of the nearest Infiniti showroom by December 1989. This was even more traffic than even Infiniti was expecting. The 50-odd dealerships scattered across the country were reportedly swamped with curious individuals that wanted to learn more about the cars. Most of them said that they came because of the advertisements. A franchise owner in Queens, New York said that over 600 people visited his dealership to have a look at them or take a test drive.
Some people couldn’t even wait for the stores to go up. One article says that they were asking about them at an LA dealership as it was under construction. The cars were stored either in repair shops or on side streets. Interest was strong out of the gates, but the company faced some resistance to its method, both internally as well as from industry analysts.
Dealers were afraid that viewers wouldn’t know what was being advertised and asked for more traditional material. Some retailers even aired their own spots to the dismay of the company. They eventually won out. A December 1989 Los Angeles Times article says that Infiniti provided them with more grounded print ads. According to the article, the company actually planned to roll these out at a later date but accelerated things due to dealer pressure.
Those within the advertising world also criticized their approach. Robert Coburn, an associate creative director at an ad agency, thought that it was part of a growing trend of campaigns that were trying to break the rules. Ronald Glantz, an automotive analyst for Montgomery Securities, echoed these sentiments and doubted whether those early results could be sustained or replicated.
That was something that could be figured out later. Infiniti managed to get people inside of showrooms. Could the car seal the deal?
DEBUT/RECEPTION
Car and Driver got their hands on a prototype and came away very impressed, comparing it favorably to segment leaders such as the BMW 750iL and Mercedes-Benz 560SEL. They took note of its striking proportions. It was two inches longer than the BMW and 8 inches shorter than the Benz. The exterior also found favor among their ranks, aside from the emblem. They said it was a cross between a paper doily and a state trooper’s badge. It also earned high marks for interior finishing, comfort, and refinement, though the driving experience was the main highlight. At low speeds, it had a buttoned-up attitude similar to other luxury sedans. Everything changed once the pedal hit the floor. The engine pulled through the power band effortlessly and without complaint, sending ethereal harmonies through to the cabin in the process. The steering and suspension lessened the impact of road imperfections while still giving the driver some much-needed feedback. This was exactly what Infiniti wanted, and what’s more, this was a pre-production model. Whatever issues cropped up during their test surely would have been ironed out for the real thing.
Road and Track got a series model and pitted against the Lexus LS400. This test would show which philosophy was the better of the two. The Lexus followed in the footsteps of the entrenched luxury brands to a T. The Infiniti struck out on its own path. Both sedans sought to disrupt the industry, but only one would emerge victorious.
The magazine took the cars onto the winding canyon roads deep in the San Gabriel Mountains. Lexus and Infiniti spent years refining the handling characteristics to ensure that their cars were right for the moment. The Q45s firm suspension helped it feel right at home on the Escher-esque tarmac. This is more impressive considering that this particular car wasn’t equipped with four-wheel steering.
The LS400, while not a total lost cause, wasn’t as sharp as the Q45. It was fast and smooth, but it wallowed a bit in the corners and didn’t give the driver a whole lot of communication. The Q45 was edging it out, but then something funny happened: the Lexus came alive at the very limit. The full-size saloon defied its dimensions as the tail kicked out. The more focused Infiniti wouldn’t break through the veil despite their best efforts. They pinned this on their slightly different weight distributions. The Q had 57 percent of its weight focused on the front of the car as opposed to the LSs 54 percent bias. This doesn’t seem like much, but it made all the difference.
This has been a heated battle thus far, but someone’s got to come out on top, right? In most cases, yes, but Road and Track felt that it was too close to call. The Infiniti had an advantage because of its engine, design direction, and mechanical feel. The Lexus was favored for its smooth ride and exquisite fit and finish. This seems like an unsatisfying conclusion, but don’t be mistaken, there will be a clear-cut winner.
SUNSET
Infiniti came out of the gates at a disadvantage. They began selling cars on November 8th, 1989. Lexus officially launched at the beginning of September and some of its dealers were selling cars at the end of August. Infiniti was behind by about 2 ½ months. Their advertising strategy could’ve seriously hurt them here if it weren’t done correctly. Commercials started airing in August. While they were teasing their car, Lexus was selling theirs.
They still managed to generate a healthy amount of interest. Now it was on the dealers to turn these visitors into customers. The Q45 was complemented by the M30 coupe. This is yet another area where the two companies mirrored each other. They both sold versions of Japanese market cars to compliment their super sedans. Lexus sold the Toyota Vista in the states as the ES250. Infiniti brought over the aging Nissan Leopard. It had been on sale in its home market since 1986 and while it was handsome in its own right, it looked worlds apart from its stablemate.
People that walked inside of an Infiniti showroom would’ve been in for a surprise. I’ll let Dean Leathers, a longtime Infiniti employee and member of the Horizon Task Force, explain this point further. (Timestamp from 4:32.)
The underlying principles were excellent, but the way in which they were presented to the customer was a massive risk on Infiniti’s part. Luxury car buyers in those days weren’t likely to associate those themes with vehicles in that segment. This direction also confused franchise owners that had prior experience selling Japanese cars. Nissan, or Datsun previously, dissuaded them from showcasing those cultural notes. At least a few dealers that got the chance to run an Infiniti store probably got whiplash from this change in direction.
“They want the dealership to be Japanese-looking,” complained one Infiniti dealer, unhappy with the company-mandated décor of his dealership. “In all of my years [with the Datsun brand], one thing they did not want you to do was to look Japanese”
Initial sales were lower than expected. Infiniti was secretive about the hard numbers early on, but a January 1990 New York Times article says that more than 1,700 cars had been sold from opening day through the end of December. The piece also notes that more than 35,000 people had visited dealerships during that span. The conversion rate of under five percent was considered lower than usual according to Christopher W. Cedergren, an analyst from J. D. Power. For comparison’s sake, Lexus sold a little over 16,000 cars in 1989. About 4,500 of those came in December alone. That’s a massive gap, but Infiniti’s camp wasn’t going to panic quite yet. Experts pointed out the fact that they launched in the middle of a recession. Most automakers were experiencing a decline in sales. On top of this, the holiday season had historically been a slow period in terms of vehicle sales. This was just a rough patch. Surely, Infiniti would find its footing in the 90s, right?
Infiniti Q45. Infiniti Pressroom
The start of the new decade wasn’t very reassuring. They sold just under 24,000 cars in 1990. Lexus, meanwhile, sold about 63,000 cars. They were outsold by a margin of about 2.5:1. Consumers had made up their minds. Toyota’s traditional approach appealed to a much wider audience. Infiniti’s strategy failed to resonate with the vast majority of people. Every move that set them apart from the competition also narrowed their potential customer base. The general public could’ve been turned off by the car’s exterior styling, interior appointments, advertising campaign, or showroom layout. A small subset of consumers identified with their philosophy, but more of them went elsewhere.
Infiniti tried to make up for that lost ground. First, they pivoted to more traditional advertisements. New spots featuring the car hit the air in February of 1990. These were actually going to go up in the spring, but they were fast-tracked because of the new developments. Ads that were even more standardized came out in April.
They only saw a slight uptick in sales. Infiniti felt like they needed a change. They cut ties with HHCC in 1992 and moved their account to another company. This was crushing news for the firm. HHCC’s Los Angeles office needed that account to survive. It was forced to shut down. Nearly 120 people were laid off.
The Q45 also fell in line. An update in 1994 reined the styling in and brought wood into the interior. Steering and suspension were softened in an effort to emulate the dynamics of its contemporaries. The full active suspension system was dropped in 1995. Infiniti came to embody every quality that it sought to reject. Year over year sales increased steadily, but they were no closer to closing the gap with Lexus. Even those tough years in the mid-90s were far better than Infiniti’s.
1997 Infiniti Q45. Infiniti Pressroom
The 1997 redesign marked the end of an era. Everything that distinguished the Q from other cars, and Infiniti from other brands, was completely wiped away. They were able to find their footing in the 2000s with products like the G35, FX35, and M45, but the Q became a shadow; a shadow of its former self as well as a shadow of its contemporaries. It was finally discontinued in 2006, and with it went the dream of a new horizon.