History of the automobile brand Infiniti
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History of the automobile brand Infiniti

When a 1970s motorist heard the expression on a Japanese luxury car, a grin appeared on his face. However, today such a phrase in combination with the name of some brands is not only beyond doubt, but also accompanied by admiration. Among such automakers is Infiniti.

This dramatic change was facilitated by some world events that have baffled most of the leading firms specializing in the production of luxury, budget, sports and premium cars. Here is the story of a famous brand, whose models are not only distinguished by their efficiency, but also have a unique appearance.

Founder

The Japanese brand appeared not as a separate enterprise, but as a division in Nissan Motors. The parent company was founded in 1985. It was originally a small business called Horizon. Before breaking into the world of automotive manufacturers with impressive new cars, the brand began exploring the prospects for the development of premium vehicles.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

The following year, the design department began developing a fundamentally new car of the highest class. Until the modern concept of luxury models was still far away. She had to go through a difficult period of adaptation in a market that was flooded with voracious and fast cars. Almost no one paid attention to premium clumsy cars, and in order to overtake the popularity of the automotive Titans existing at that time, it was necessary to impress everyone at auto racing. The company decided to go the other way.

In the United States, the Japanese attempt to expand the popularity of their models evoked sympathetic views. The company's management understood that with the famous Nissan brand, they would not be able to interest new buyers. For this reason, a separate division has been created, specializing in the segment of exclusive comfortable car models. And so that the brand would not be associated with the name Nissan, already having a dubious reputation (in America, Japanese cars Nissan were treated with distrust), the brand was given the name Infiniti.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

The history of the brand begins in 1987. Interest in premium cars among the American audience has increased since the end of the global economic crisis. Japanese cars Nissan were already associated with ordinary and unremarkable models, so rich people would not even look towards this company, let alone think that the brand is capable of creating truly interesting and comfortable transport.

In the late 80s, many American buyers began to take an interest in presentable cars. Most manufacturers of that period were engaged in the adaptation of their cars to stricter environmental standards, as well as the increased interest of buyers in more economical motors.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

Already in 1989, unknown but impressive models of Infiniti (from Nissan) and Lexus (from Toyota) appeared on the North American market. Since the development of new cars was carried out in secrecy, the new product was immediately recognized not for its name, but for its appearance and efficiency. The company immediately became successful, as evidenced by the opening of more than fifty dealerships in a short period of time.

Emblem

The name of the new brand was based on the English word that translates as infinity. The only thing was that the company's designers made a deliberate lexical mistake - the last letter in the word was replaced by i, so that it would be easier for the consumer to read the name, and indeed to perceive the inscription.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

At first, they wanted to use the Mobius strip as a logo, as a symbol of infinity. However, they decided to associate the emblem not with mathematical figures, but with the automotive world. For this reason, a drawing of a road going into the horizon was chosen as the car's interpretation of infinity.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

The principle underlying this symbol is that there will be no limit to the development of technologies, therefore the company will not stop introducing innovations into its machines. The logo has not changed since the inception of the premium division of the company.

The emblem is made of chrome-plated metal, which emphasizes the status of all cars that will bear this logo.

Automotive brand history in models

For the first time, an American audience looked with interest at a real work of art by a Japanese concern in 1989. Motor City Auto Show, Detroit, introduced the Q45.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

The car was rear-wheel drive. Under the hood was a motor with a power of 278 horsepower. The torque that went to the transmission was 396 Nm. A 4,5-liter V-eight accelerated the premium Japanese sedan to 100 km / h. in 6,7 sec. This figure impressed not only the motorists present at the exhibition, but also auto critics.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

But this is not the only parameter with which the car impressed those present. The manufacturer installed a limited-slip differential and multi-link suspension.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

Well, what about a premium car without comfort elements. The car was installed the latest modification of the Bose multimedia system. The interior was leather, the front seats could be adjusted in several planes (they also had a memory function for two different positions). The climate system is electronically controlled. The security system has been complemented by keyless entry.

History of the automobile brand Infiniti

The further development of the brand turned out to be so successful that today the field of activity is spread almost all over the world. Here are the major milestones in the brand's history.

  • 1985 - Nissan creates the premium car division. The first launch of the production model took place in 1989 at the Detroit Auto Show. It was a Q45 sedan.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 1989 - In parallel with the Q45, the production of the two-door M30 coupe starts. This car was built on the Nissan Leopard platform, only the body was slightly modified in the GT style.History of the automobile brand Infiniti The model was the first to use an adaptive suspension system. The electronics determined the condition of the road, on the basis of which it automatically changed the stiffness of the shock absorbers. Until 2009, the company also produced this car in the back of a convertible. The driver's airbag was included in the passive safety system, and the ABS system entered the active one (how it works, read in a separate article).History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 1990 - a variant appeared that occupies a niche between the previous two models. This is the J30 model. Although the company positioned the car as more spectacular with a bright design and an increased level of comfort, the public was not interested in the model due to poor-quality advertising, and those who bought the car noted that the car was not as spacious as they wanted.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 1991 - the beginning of production of the next premium sedan - the G20. It was already a front wheel drive model with an inline 4 cylinder engine. The kit came with either a four- or five-speed automatic transmission. The comfort system contained electric windows, cruise control, ABS, air conditioning, disc brakes (in a circle) and other options inherent in a luxury car.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 1995 - the brand introduces the innovative VQ series motor. It was a V-shaped six, which had the perfect combination of such parameters as economical consumption, high power and optimal torque. For 14 years, the unit has been honored to be among the ten best motors, according to the editors of the WardsAuto publication.
  • 1997 - The first Japanese luxury SUV is introduced. The QX4 was produced in the United States of America.History of the automobile brand Infiniti Under the hood, the manufacturer installed a 5,6-liter power unit. The V-shaped figure eight developed power of 320 horsepower, and the torque reached 529 Newton meters. The transmission is a five-speed automatic. The cabin had all the same advanced Bose multimedia, navigation, climate control for two zones, cruise control, and leather trim.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2000 - The merger of Nissan and Renault takes place. The reason for this is the rapidly developing Asian crisis. This allowed the brand to gain popularity not only in North America, but also in Europe, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East. In the first half of the decade, the G series appeared, which was designed to compete with the Bavarian BMW sedans and coupes of the third series. One of the brightest models of those years was the M45.History of the automobile brand InfinitiHistory of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2000 - The new FX range of luxury crossovers is introduced. These were the first models in the world to receive a lane departure warning. In 2007, the driver's assistant was supplemented with a steering and smooth braking system, which prevented the car from leaving the lane.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2007 - the beginning of production of the QX50 crossover model, which later began to be ranked as a sports hatchback. A V-shaped six with a capacity of 297 horsepower was installed under the hood.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2010 - the Q50 model appears on the market, in which the company's advanced technologies were applied. A new IPL division begins to develop.History of the automobile brand Infiniti The division's key niche is productive machines of the premium segment. In the same year, a hybrid version of the M35h model appeared.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2011 - the brand takes part in the Grand Prix competitions in cooperation with the Red Bull brigade. After 2 years, the company becomes the official sponsor of the team.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2012 - Premium vehicles receive an innovative reversing collision avoidance system. If the driver does not have time to react, the electronics activate the brakes in time. During this period, the luxury crossover model JX appears. It was a lengthened version of the Nissan Murano.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2012-2015, the assembly of the FX, M and QX80 models is carried out at production facilities in Russia, however, due to the fact that the grace period for the delivery of components for Japanese cars has ended, and the Ministry of Economy of the country did not want to extend it, the production of models in Russia ceased.
  • 2014 - JX gets hybrid drive. The power plant consisted of a 2,5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which was paired with an electric motor that develops 20 horsepower. In total, the unit produced 250 hp.History of the automobile brand Infiniti
  • 2016 - under the Infiniti brand, a 6-cylinder V-shaped engine with a twin turbocharger appears. This series has come to replace the innovative analogue VQ. The next year, the line was expanded with another development - VC-Turbo. A feature of the next unit was the ability to change the compression ratio.

Almost all cars of the brand were assembled on the platforms of the existing models of the parent company Nissan. The difference was the luxurious design and advanced equipment of the vehicles. Recently, the brand has been developing and creating new generations of luxury sedans and crossovers.

Here's a short video review of one of the impressive SUVs from the Japanese automaker:

KRUZAK REST! The POWER of the Infiniti QX80 in action

Questions and answers:

Which country is Nissan manufacturer? Nissan is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world. The Japanese company was incorporated in 1933 and is headquartered in Yokohama.

What kind of company is Infinity? It is Nissan's premium sub-brand. It is the official importer of premium cars in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, CIS countries, Korea and Taiwan.

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