Infiniti Q45

The Infiniti Q45 at a glance

Q45 generations: G50, Y33 and F50

The first Q45 went on sale in the United States in late 1989 as a 1990 model, at the same time as Infiniti itself. Its launch advertising was unusual: the first campaign showed neither photos of the car nor product details. The G50 shared its platform with the Nissan President. A grille was added in 1993, and Super HICAS four-wheel steering was dropped from the Q45t in 1995.

The second generation arrived for 1997 and was a lightly revised Nissan Cima. It was about 91 kg (200 lb) lighter than the G50 but used a smaller 4.1-litre V8. US sales fell from 10,443 in 1997 to 4,178 in 2000. A facelift for 1999 brought standard xenon headlights and a 3,000-car Anniversary Edition.

The third generation was shown at the New York Auto Show in 2000 and went on sale in April 2001 as a 2002 model. It was derived from the Cima F50 and shared its platform with the President. The new VK45DE engine gave the Q45 its highest output.

V8 performance and the active suspension

The G50 reached 97 km/h (60 mph) in about 6.7 seconds, and the Y33 in about 7.5 seconds. The F50 cut this to 6.0 seconds, helped by its 254 kW. The F50 had a five-speed automatic with a manual mode. According to the old 1cars text, the engine ran almost silently, without noticeable vibration.

The Q45a of 1990–1995 had Nissan's hydraulic Full-Active Suspension, which kept the body level in corners. It added 92 kg (202 lb) and cut fuel economy by about 10 %, and it was not offered after 1995. The Q45t "touring" model used Super HICAS rear-wheel steering. Later cars had electronically adjustable dampers; on the F50 they came in the Premium Package.

From the Y33 to the F50, power rose by 28 % by our calculation, while the engine grew from 4.1 to 4.5 litres. You can compare the Q45's power with other saloons in the power-to-weight calculator.

Cabin, size and equipment

The G50 has a 2,880 mm (113.4 in) wheelbase. The old 1cars review described the F50 cabin as very roomy, with black Italian leather, light wood trim and plenty of rear legroom. It also noted seats similar in feel to Mercedes ones, with awkwardly placed adjustment buttons.

On the F50, an electrically adjusted steering column, a rear control panel for climate and audio, and voice commands for the air conditioning and stereo were also listed by the old text. The voice control understood English only. The F50's drag coefficient is 0.30.

Fuel use and running a Q45 today

Infiniti never published European fuel figures, because the car was not sold in the EU. All three V8s need premium petrol, and a Q45 uses more fuel than a modern six-cylinder saloon. The active suspension of the G50 cut economy by about 10 %. To estimate your own costs, use the 1cars fuel cost calculator.

Running a Q45 today is mainly a question of finding a well-kept car with records. On the G50, the hydraulic active suspension adds a complex system to maintain. The old 1cars text listed a reversing camera, a Bose sound system and memory seats among the standard features of the later cars.

Safety: no Euro NCAP test

The Q45 was never tested by Euro NCAP, because it was not sold in Europe. Each generation added equipment that helps safety. The Y33 added traction control, and the F50 offered a rear camera and laser-based adaptive cruise control. According to the old 1cars text, Infiniti's engineers claimed the F50's xenon headlights lit the road 25 % brighter than those of the Mercedes S-Class.

The Q45 compared with its luxury rivals

The Q45 launched alongside the Lexus LS 400, and the two Japanese newcomers aimed at the same German saloons. Against the LS 430 of 2001, the F50 had 38 kW more, by our comparison of the factory figures. Sales told another story: in 2002 the Q45 found only 3,717 US buyers. The story of both brands is in the history of Infiniti and the history of Lexus.