01/08/2007
By Mike Blake
Carlisle Events

 



We think of America as the home of the muscle car. While that may be true, Japanese auto manufactures occasionally flex some muscle of their own, and one of those Far East muscle cars is the 2007 Infiniti M45 Sport Sedan.

You might be familiar with Nissan’s sportiest muscle offering, the storied 350Z. Infiniti, which is Nissan’s luxury arm, has seen fit to platform the M45 on the same chassis that underpins the 350Z, and if that foundation isn’t enough to make muscle fans take notice, the rear-wheel-drive Sport Sedan is propelled by a beefy 4.5-liter, variable intake valve timing control V-8 engine that thunders out 325hp and 336 lbs.-ft. of torque.

That’s more than enough to make the M45 fit the definition of muscle car. That term originated when it took high horsepower to gallop heavy Detroit steel down the drag strips, tracks and cruisin’ boulevards of 1960s America. In the ensuing 40 years, the term has changed to include any car that goes fast.

Well, the Infiniti M45 is true to the OLD definition. It weighs in at a solid, safe and heavy 3995 pounds. And the 325 horses are enough pop to power the M45 from zero to 60 in 6 seconds (during my tests). I also rambled down the quarter-mile in a very respectable 14.5 seconds. As the advertising literature heralds: Infiniti is designed to outperform. And I was still able to average about 21mpg during my highway and city tests throughout Central Pennsylvania. That was well within the EPA rating of 17mpg city and 23mpg highway.

Using an advanced front midship platform -- the "FM" in the platform designation stands for front midship – the power plant is placed behind the front axle, delivering 54 percent of the weight up front and 46 percent behind. The weight distribution, along with an increase over the previous model’s torsional rigidity and independent, double-wishbone front suspension and multilink rear, creates a machine that handles better than most muscle cars and equal to that of many flat-out sports cars.

My Liquid Platinum test vehicle also showed me that it is more than simply a performance and muscle car. It also lives up to the Infiniti legacy of luxury, from its grandiosely named exterior color, to its elegant shape and lavish interior.

The Infiniti sedan rewards you with the perception that it is a sleek coupe. Its zero-lift front aerodynamics from the curving roofline and sloping nose to its tall tail just scream out sports coupe. It’s exterior luxury quotient increases with the addition of asymmetrical head and taillights, large tires, 19-inch, 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheels fitted close to the corners and a wide, flat grille. The exterior sportiness culminates in a dual exhaust with quad finishers.

Also on the outside are xenon HID headlights with auto-leveling, adaptive front lighting system, integrated fog lights, LED taillights and power sliding glass sunroof.

The cabin is spacious and will seat five in comfort. Lavishness abounds from rosewood appointments to leather-appointed sport seats. Those seats have climate control and 10-way power with power lumbar support. Also standard are such amenities as Infiniti controller with LCD display, 7-inch LCD display screen, in-dash 6-disc CD w/MP3 and WMA playback, dual in-glass diversity antennas, voice recognition, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for audio, VR/Bluetooth and cruise control, intelligent key with push-button ignition, aluminum trim and pedals, power windows and dual-zone automatic temperature control with microfilter and mild-flow vents.

Outboard cargo can be stowed in a large 14.9-cubic-foot trunk with space-saver spare. The interior offers a center pass-through long enough to accommodate a few sets of skis.

Standard safety and security items include an advanced air bag system, front seat side impact supplemental air bags, curtain side impact supplemental airbags, front seat active head restraints, rear seat head restraints, selective unlocking of driver’s or all doors, a first aid kit, a tire pressure monitor system and break-activated front pre-crash seat belts.

All of that Infiniti power, safety and luxury comes at a price. The base price on the M45 is $50,550, and my test vehicle with a few extra bells and whistles came in at $58,240. That’s not a bad sticker for all the power, elegance and appeal you get from this Infiniti.

Extras in my test vehicle included the advanced technology package that added $2500 to the show and comes with a 14-speaker Bose stereo sound system, intelligent cruise control with preview braking, lane departure warning, XM Satellite radio, and audio/video input jacks.

The aerodynamic body kit added another $1590 and included front and rear lower fascias, side sills and rear deck lid spoiler.

The $2950 technology package included rear view monitor and the Infiniti navigation system, which is easy to use, but which is not up to date on relatively new housing developments in Central Pennsylvania … some that are two years old.

Old American muscle can now be found in Japan, in luxury form. And the possibilities are infinite.

Visit www.carlisleevents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

MIKE BLAKE, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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