Infiniti

Infiniti is Nissan's performance and luxury division. If Lexus was attempting to be Japan's answer to Mercedes-Benz, then Infiniti was the pan-Pacific riposte to BMW. Sport sedans like the G35 and later G37 were credible rivals to the 3-Series. Infiniti crossovers were sporty too, particularly the groundbreaking FX35 and FX45. More recently, the brand has moved to calling all its cars by the designation Q, and crossovers by QX.

Arriving in North America at the same time as Lexus, and a few years after Acura, Infiniti did not at first have the lasting success that its rivals did. The first cars, the Q45 and M30, were basically slightly tweaked versions of Nissans that were only available in the Japanese home market. It should have been good enough — the Emperor of Japan was chauffeured in a Nissan President at the time — but through the 1990s, Infiniti didn't really gain lasting traction.

The QX4, a more luxurious version of the popular Pathfinder, was one bright spot during the SUV craze. However, where Infiniti really came into its own was with the G35 of 2003. Again, this car was based on a JDM Nissan, but the Nissan in question was a Skyline. In previous generations, the GT-R version of the Skyline was Nissan's flagship performer, a world-beating coupe. In its eleventh generation, the Skyline split from the GT-R badge, but retained some of that sportiness. With V6 power and a rear-wheel-drive layout, it soon became the backbone of the Infiniti brand. There was also the G35 and G37 2+2 coupes, basically well-heeled versions of the Nissan Z. Customers enthusiastically snapped them up.

In fact, the G was so beloved that Infiniti had a bit of a issue when it was decided in 2015 to change the name of the car to Q40 for sedans and Q50 for coupes. For a brief time, Infiniti sold the older G37 sedan alongside the Q40 sedan. This muddied the waters, but Infiniti soon emerged with a relatively coherent lineup.

Currently, the Q50 is Infiniti's sport sedan, and the Q60 its related coupe. These both get twin-turbo V6 power as standard, with Red Sport models getting as much as 400 hp. Despite the power advantage, the Q50 and Q60 are a bit more muscle car than sport sedan. However, both are very quick.

Infiniti's QX models have a less fleet of foot focus. The QX50 is stylish and packed with features, but pairs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a CVT. The QX60 is bigger and softer, with the underpinnings of the Nissan Pathfinder, and has a nine-speed automatic tuned for smooth shifting.

At the top end of the range is the brutish QX80, a proper SUV based on the Nissan Armada. Unapologetically thirsty, the QX80 is made for those who need V8 power for towing. It's an aging platform, but still delivers.

Infiniti doesn't currently have any electrified cars in its production fleet, but the QX Inspiration concept car shows what one might look like. The concept's rear coach doors are unlikely to reach production, but adapting Nissan's battery-EV Ariya platform for a sportier and more luxurious ride would make a lot of sense.