QOTD: What's the Best Infiniti Ever?

Corey Lewis
by Corey Lewis

There have been some rumblings around the TTAC virtual newsroom lately about Infiniti, and consideration of the company’s best-ever product. The best of their product is certainly not found in their present lineup, which I took time to lambast in late 2020. We bring this question to you today, dear readers: What’s the best car Infiniti ever made?


No doubt many of you will expect me to heap praise on the M45 pictured above. While that sporty hardtop sedan was an interesting offering (JDM product lightly edited for America), I don’t think it was their best work. In a first-ever for a QOTD I’ve asked, I’m not going to give you my answer right away. 


I feel strongly enough about said answer that it’s going to be a separate, full-length post. Look for that soon (tomorrow), in a new type of post I’ve titled The QOTD Answer.


[Images: Infiniti]

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Corey Lewis
Corey Lewis

Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.

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  • Marty S Marty S on Aug 29, 2022

    I thought that the original G35 was a great looking car. My daughter had one with a nice wing on the rear. Great engine sound. Interior was OK and OK to drive as I recall. A step up from the 350Z at the time.

    • JMII JMII on Aug 30, 2022

      My wife's intrest in the early G35 is what got to me to buy a 350Z since we didn't need the back seat and I am fond of hatchbacks. Years later we got a Q60 (that odd year the G37's badge changed) which was a much more refined Z and a great driver's car. Basically the G37 is a cheaper and more reliable 3 series BMW before they became a bloated mess. Infiniti never made an "M3" ...the Q60 Red Sport is as close as they got.

  • Smicallef427 Smicallef427 on Aug 30, 2022

    J30! I loved this as a kid. Hell, I still love it today. It was one of the first cars I remember seeing projector headlamps and they were gorgeous!

  • Lorenzo Yes, they can recover from the Ghosn-led corporate types who cheapened vehicles in the worst ways, including quality control. In the early to mid-1990s Nissan had efficient engines, and reliable drivetrains in well-assembled, fairly durable vehicles. They can do it again, but the Japanese government will have to help Nissan extricate itself from the "Alliance". It's too bad Japan didn't have a George Washington to warn about entangling alliances!
  • Slavuta Nissan + profitability = cheap crap
  • ToolGuy Why would they change the grille?
  • Oberkanone Nissan proved it can skillfully put new frosting on an old cake with Frontier and Z. Yet, Nissan dealers are so broken they are not good at selling the Frontier. Z production is so minimal I've yet to see one. Could Nissan boost sales? Sure. I've heard Nissan plans to regain share at the low end of the market. Kicks, Versa and lower priced trims of their mainstream SUV's. I just don't see dealerships being motivated to support this effort. Nissan is just about as exciting and compelling as a CVT.
  • ToolGuy Anyone who knows, is this the (preliminary) work of the Ford Skunk Works?
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