What is it?
2002 Infiniti Q45
What's special about it?
Infiniti's flagship has come in. Nissan's luxury marque unveiled its redesigned, third-generation, top-of-the-line luxo boat to the Detroit Auto Show with promises that it has improved luxury, looks and performance. On the power front, it's hard to argue. The new Q45 is propelled by a 32-valve, 4.5-liter DOHC V8, which produces 340 horsepower (an increase of more than 25 percent, or 75 hp, over the 2001 model) and 333 foot-pounds of torque (up 55 ft-lbs. from 2001). The new Q also sports a new high-torque capacity, electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission (the previous model offered only a four-speed). Infiniti claims the new setup rockets the Q45 from zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Luxury touches include a 7-inch LCD screen that controls functions such as climate control, audio systems, maintenance updates and vehicle settings (auto door lock, headlight delay, etc.). An optional rearview monitor system uses the screen to show what is behind the car. A DVD-driven navigational system is also optional. The airy greenhouse and soft, light-colored leather upholstery accented by bird's-eye maple wood trim lend an air of casual luxury to the new Q. The exterior styling of the 2002 Q45 is pretty generic with no distinguishing features. The rear end seems inspired by the Jaguar S-Type and the hood looks sculpted using the Volvo S80 as a model. This car will not win any buyers on visual impact, but in terms of performance and luxury appointments, it befits its flagship status.
Why should you care?
Infiniti describes its target market as "wealthy baby boomers that are young at heart," presumably the same people who now buy the Lexus LS 430, Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 and 7 Series sedans. It may compete with those cars in the arenas of performance and luxury, but its styling carries none of the cachet of those vehicles. With the stock market going bearish and the economy losing steam, boomers are going to get a lot tighter with their money (retirement's not far off) and it's going to take something special to pry their dollars away. Though elegant, fast and opulent, the 2002 Q45 may not be enough.
2002 Infiniti Q45
What's special about it?
Infiniti's flagship has come in. Nissan's luxury marque unveiled its redesigned, third-generation, top-of-the-line luxo boat to the Detroit Auto Show with promises that it has improved luxury, looks and performance. On the power front, it's hard to argue. The new Q45 is propelled by a 32-valve, 4.5-liter DOHC V8, which produces 340 horsepower (an increase of more than 25 percent, or 75 hp, over the 2001 model) and 333 foot-pounds of torque (up 55 ft-lbs. from 2001). The new Q also sports a new high-torque capacity, electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission (the previous model offered only a four-speed). Infiniti claims the new setup rockets the Q45 from zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Luxury touches include a 7-inch LCD screen that controls functions such as climate control, audio systems, maintenance updates and vehicle settings (auto door lock, headlight delay, etc.). An optional rearview monitor system uses the screen to show what is behind the car. A DVD-driven navigational system is also optional. The airy greenhouse and soft, light-colored leather upholstery accented by bird's-eye maple wood trim lend an air of casual luxury to the new Q. The exterior styling of the 2002 Q45 is pretty generic with no distinguishing features. The rear end seems inspired by the Jaguar S-Type and the hood looks sculpted using the Volvo S80 as a model. This car will not win any buyers on visual impact, but in terms of performance and luxury appointments, it befits its flagship status.
Why should you care?
Infiniti describes its target market as "wealthy baby boomers that are young at heart," presumably the same people who now buy the Lexus LS 430, Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 and 7 Series sedans. It may compete with those cars in the arenas of performance and luxury, but its styling carries none of the cachet of those vehicles. With the stock market going bearish and the economy losing steam, boomers are going to get a lot tighter with their money (retirement's not far off) and it's going to take something special to pry their dollars away. Though elegant, fast and opulent, the 2002 Q45 may not be enough.
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