Infiniti Q45 reinvented as definitive full-size luxury sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DALLAS, Tex. -- What seemed like a zillion commuters choked all lanes of the Stemmons Freeway, which threaded through sprawling office parks en route to glossy downtown skyscrapers in the Texas mega-metro of flashy Dallas.
This was helter-skelter gridlock, too many cars squeezing into too little pavement, all drivers anxious to move but each festering in the ritualized pileup of stagnating morning traffic.
For some, the journey became a hell-on-wheels experience with horns blaring, engines fuming, trucks belching, tempers boiling.
But that wasn't the experience of one lucky test driver, sequestered on rich leather upholstery, surrounded by every conceivable appointment of luxury and shielded behind tightly fitted doors and window glass which sealed out the nauseous outside world.
In a soothing interior environment dotted by glossy wood-tone accents and with climate controlled by computer and cleaned by micron filters which scrub away pollens and particulate pollutants, the delicate notes of Mozart drifted through my space, thanks to an amplified balance from woofers and tweeters of a Bose audio system.
Seats, wide and deep and plush, felt as comfortable as those of a fancy drawing room. And from every direction the driver was surrounded by powerized controls to take all work out of the chore of driving.
Of course, when traffic finally parted there was ample power which could be applied with just a tap of toe, but why rush when it feels so good simply to be ensconced in such trappings of comfort and luxury?
With the redesign of Infiniti's flagship sedan, Q45, arriving somewhere isn't nearly as exciting as the trip in progress because this car delivers a heavenly ride.
Every driver should feel this good.
In case you may have overlooked the label, understand that Infiniti represents that sophisticated high-tech spin-off line from Japan's Nissan, with various alphanumeric designations for models which culminate at Q45.
Through six years Infiniti's full-size sedan has been a sleeper among imported luxury labels. Like its peers the former Q45 carried four passenger doors, two bucket seats up front, V8 power tucked beneath a long hood, and all of the refinements of an elite automobile.
Unlike others, though, the big Infiniti could carve sharp corners and run with hard-edged performance traits of a sporty model, which, although fun for aggressive driving, confronted conventions of elegance in motoring.
For 1997, designers at Infiniti began with a fresh palette, reinventing this car in a second generational rendition whose intent obviously is to define the benchmark of a full-size imported luxury sedan.
Compared with its predecessor, new Q45 measures only fractionally taller as length and width and weight were pared but interior space increased, particularly in the rear seat where legroom expands by as much as four inches.
It rides on a new platform that's far more rigid than before, with new suspensional components applied to ease the quality of the ride.
The understated exterior design stresses fluid horizontal lines with hard edges softened and vertical surfaces canted for aerodynamic balance.
Chrome grillework accents a prow encrusted by jewel-like headlights and foglamps tucked into lower fascia. A notched hood extends to the canted windshield as it flows upward into a roofline supported by inverse curves of flanking bold C pillars which taper into the subtle lip of a broad rear decklid.
Inside the new sedan there's room for five adults to ride in style, with ample space for legs, elbows and even a hat upon one's head.
It's quite comfortable, of course, but also equipped with modern elements of automotive safety. The 1997 Q45 contains twin airbags, along with anti-lock brakes keyed to a 4-wheel disc brake system, plus a steel safety cage encasing riders and sturdy crash bars added to doors and front and rear areas to help deflect collision forces away from the human cargo.
It's also uncommonly quiet inside these quarters, with superb attention apparently devoted to damping the level of exterior noise from interrupting interior conversations, thanks to intense insulating elements and secure seals for doors and windows.
One more point: It's quick for such a large car.
Infiniti's 4.1-liter V8, packing twin cams and pumping up to 266 hp, will leap off the line at a stop light and can blast down a freeway where traffic permits.
Top speed hovers somewhere in the illicit neighborhood of 140 mph, and its zero-to-60 statistic ducks under the quick mark of eight seconds.
Infiniti's big engine mates to a unique electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic shifter programmed to retard engine timing during upshifts and reduce the shock of shifting, thereby smoothing out shift sequences.
A standard traction control system, working with Q45's limited-slip differential, silently works to alleviate tire spinning on slippery pavement and improve vehicle control for the driver.
The traction device complements Q's anti-lock brakes.
Inside, the leather upholstery feels plush and soft, and handsome wood-tone touches dress it up.
Front seats, designed for full-frame adult comfort, move multiple ways for a custom fit which may be programmed by electronic memory.
Analog gauges in the redesigned instrument panel offer easy-to-read white-on-black displays.
Another interior perk, the 200-watt Bose audio system -- with eight speakers and cassette deck as well as in-dash CD player -- includes automatic balancing through all speakers to produce concert-quality sound.
In addition to the standard luxury edition, Infiniti offers the Q45t with sport-tuned suspension settings, sporty steering wheel and performance cast aluminum wheels, plus heated front seats.
This car comes with so much gear installed that only the heated seats for a standard Q45 and a 6-disc CD changer end up as optional.
1997 INFINITI Q45
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| 1997 INFINITI Q45 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
111.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
199.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.1-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
18/23 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 49,500 to $ 53,000 |
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