What Is the History of the Infiniti Car?
Infiniti is the luxury brand for Nissan that had a difficult beginning in the American market place as it struggled for an identity. It has since become one of the world's leading Japanese luxury brands, most recently diving into the European market.
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History
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Nissan launched Infiniti in November 1989 to provide a separate luxury vehicle that otherwise would not be associated with the Japanese automaker. Nissan also wanted to answer Toyota's Lexus and Honda's Acura with its own high-end offering to American car buyers. Infiniti began modestly with 51 dealers worldwide, growing to more than 230 showrooms 20 years later.
Significance
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Infiniti helped push Japanese automakers into the luxury car market that was once the domain of Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and their European competitors. With competitors Toyota and Honda, Nissan offered quality cars at prices lower than the American and European brands.
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Function
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By placing the Infiniti on a Nissan FM platform and moving the engine behind the front wheels, Nissan solved several performance issues not found in American luxury vehicles, including better acceleration, braking and handling.
Types
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The vehicle debuted with the M30 coupe and the Q45 sedan, and then beat its Japanese competitors by introducing the country's first luxury sports utility vehicle, the QX4, for export.
Features
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By marketing itself as the "Japanese BMW," the Infiniti has focused on producing SUVs that handle like a sports car, giving rise to the G35 sports coupe that can pass for a station wagon and styled for American buyers intimidated by the price of a German car.
Identification
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Infiniti shed its identity issues by the early 1990s with better marketing campaigns and efforts to distance itself from the luxury cars by Honda and Toyota, allowing its slashed highway logo to earn its own place in the luxury car field.
Size
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The definitive Infiniti, the 2007 G37 Coupe, sports a 3.7-liter V6 engine generating 330 braking horsepower on a compact 112-inch wheelbase.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Nissan
