The Infiniti brand was introduced in the
USA in 1989. The
marketing strategy was to target the premium vehicle segments in the United States that would not have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image, and partially influenced by the
Plaza Accord of 1985. The brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals
Toyota and
Honda developed their
Lexus and
Acura premium brands. The
Japanese government imposed
voluntary export restraints for the U.S. market, so it was more profitable for automakers to export more expensive cars to the U.S.
The Infiniti marque was launched with two models, the
Q45, and the
M30. The Q45 was based on the all new second generation
JDM Nissan President on a five millimeter shorter wheelbase
platform at 2,875 mm (113.2 in). Starting with model year 1992, the wheelbase matched the President's wheelbase at 2880 mm (113.4 in). The Q45 included a 278 hp (207 kW; 282 PS) V8 engine,
four wheel steering, and
active suspension system offered on the first generation Q45t. The car's features would have made it competitive in the full-sized "luxury" segment against the
Mercedes S-Class,
BMW 7 Series,
Jaguar XJ and
Cadillac Infiniti did not offer an
mid-luxury sedan to match the first Japanese luxury sedan introduced to North America, the
Acura Legend, which was later joined by the
Lexus GS. Infiniti's first offering in the entry-level luxury segment was the
Infiniti J30, which had to compete with the revised 1992
Lexus ES and was unsuccessful owing to its small interior and unusual styling to which it was succeeded in 1996 by the
Infiniti I series, related to the
Nissan Maxima and in 2002 by the
Infiniti G35.A second model was introduced in 1990, the 2-door
M30, a
badge engineered Nissan Leopard. It remained in production for three years as an alternative to the
Lexus SC. The powertrain was the
VG30E 162 hp (121 kW; 164 PS) engine and an automatic transmission. The M30 coupe was underpowered for its stock weight of 3,333 lb (1,512 kg). The M30 convertible weighed even more, due to the required body and chassis reinforcements. The appearance of the M30 had almost no resemblance to the larger Q45, and the interior was almost completely different.