This is a problem across many brands as capacitors age out and dry out.
Infiniti to cancel stand alone Infiniti dealerships
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This is tacit acknowledgement that Nissan has failed Infiniti as a brand, and the company itself is at risk (as alluded to before).
Running a luxury marque requires commitment -- 1) to supply that brand with the right products, and not allow it to rot (Hello, Stellantis!), and 2) selling and supporting those products with dedicated stores that help promote the intangibles, and separate those products, and their customer bases, from the mainstream hoi polloi.
But, of course, when such stores don't move enough product to sustain them, the book writes itself.
The OG Q45, G20 and others in the Infiniti lineup were developed when Nissan was an engineering-lead company, which was also reflected in its other products. While Toyota engineers were benchmarking the S-class with the LS, Nissan engineers took inspiration from the 7-series with the Q.
While it can be argued that it didn't make enough money with that formula, leading to the Ghosn era of cost cut designs, and people, at least the products were good.
Toyota understood, and Lexus has undeniably become integral to the company.
(Though, it too, has stumbled with a half-measured effort at the other end of the spectrum with Scion, which got no product, not enough separation from Toyota, and thus had no purpose.)
Honda didn't have any focus with Acura, beyond being "a nicer Honda" for their buyers to move up to, and it floundered for many years, somewhat directionless.
Mazda killed the Amati brand before ever launching it, but the work did leak out in a couple of their models.
Hyundai doesn't seem to understand either, and after wavering, still hasn't committed to properly launching Genesis as a brand, with its own stores.
Product is king in this business, and when there is nothing new, or good, to sell, the ship will take on water, before sinking.
You guys mixing up the Gs and Zs are thinking of the times when the FM platform was the basis for the front-engined, RWD models.
Running a luxury marque requires commitment -- 1) to supply that brand with the right products, and not allow it to rot (Hello, Stellantis!), and 2) selling and supporting those products with dedicated stores that help promote the intangibles, and separate those products, and their customer bases, from the mainstream hoi polloi.
But, of course, when such stores don't move enough product to sustain them, the book writes itself.
The OG Q45, G20 and others in the Infiniti lineup were developed when Nissan was an engineering-lead company, which was also reflected in its other products. While Toyota engineers were benchmarking the S-class with the LS, Nissan engineers took inspiration from the 7-series with the Q.
While it can be argued that it didn't make enough money with that formula, leading to the Ghosn era of cost cut designs, and people, at least the products were good.
Toyota understood, and Lexus has undeniably become integral to the company.
(Though, it too, has stumbled with a half-measured effort at the other end of the spectrum with Scion, which got no product, not enough separation from Toyota, and thus had no purpose.)
Honda didn't have any focus with Acura, beyond being "a nicer Honda" for their buyers to move up to, and it floundered for many years, somewhat directionless.
Mazda killed the Amati brand before ever launching it, but the work did leak out in a couple of their models.
Hyundai doesn't seem to understand either, and after wavering, still hasn't committed to properly launching Genesis as a brand, with its own stores.
Product is king in this business, and when there is nothing new, or good, to sell, the ship will take on water, before sinking.
You guys mixing up the Gs and Zs are thinking of the times when the FM platform was the basis for the front-engined, RWD models.
Scion had a purpose, they sold cheap cars including some smaller things that were big in Japan but otherwise unavailable in the US.
They wanted young buyers, but it was 2008 and there was a financial crisis, and young buyers had no jobs. So 55 year old women bought the things instead, and called them "Toyota Scions." There was no haggling on price and most of their stuff was under $20k so I'm not sure they profited, aside from CAFE credits. As an entry level car, the question was, entry to what, and they sort of failed at answering that.
They wanted young buyers, but it was 2008 and there was a financial crisis, and young buyers had no jobs. So 55 year old women bought the things instead, and called them "Toyota Scions." There was no haggling on price and most of their stuff was under $20k so I'm not sure they profited, aside from CAFE credits. As an entry level car, the question was, entry to what, and they sort of failed at answering that.
recently had my brothers 2003 m45 for 6 months to fix up and sell for him . amazing car and only 72k on the clock. parts are a real problem. couldnt get new front struts so had to go to coilovers.
If parts are available they are extremely expensive.
Infiniti vehicles might be alright, but its the idiots driving all of them that ruins it. Would never step foot in one
Nothing like a clapped out G37 with no exhaust ripping through the neighborhood at 2am with the photocopied temp tag flapping around the bumperless rear of the car
Nothing like a clapped out G37 with no exhaust ripping through the neighborhood at 2am with the photocopied temp tag flapping around the bumperless rear of the car
Infinitiusa.parts.com says front struts are still available. Of course not at a price I would want to pay. Ouch. It is a 21 year old car.
VH45DE was an absolute beast of a motor.
My next door neighbour bought a brand new infinity and was very proud of it for a week or so, then all excitement vanished quickly. I didn't hear him complain but he was even happier to get out of it. And I see others in the area don't keep their Infinitis longer than one to two years. I'd consider buying a Nissan back in 80s and to mid-late 90s but later never saw one appealing visually or as a durable and reliable ride. I don't wish Nissan to fail and would love to see them start making attractive looking, pleasure to drive and dependable vehicles.
This is still a great looking car. I'd be tempted by one looking that nice. We (esp my best half) always liked the G35/37 coupes too but this one is my favorite of the lot.
Did Toyota really need to mount such an effort to launch a new brand to court younger buyers? The brand might be as fresh or hip as it might have wanted, but it also wasn't a situation where it was trying to sell Buicks, Olds, or Caddys to young buyers; the Corollas and Civics of the world were hardly old peoples' cars, and for many, already likely to be their first cars.
The brand found the most success with the xB and tC, then promptly created a second generation xB that had none of the charm of the original, and then decided to shove the GR86 into its lineup for convenience, and because it didn't know where else to put it. Only recently has it acknowledge the equity it has in the Celica name and is teasing its return; something it could have done years ago, instead of GR86.
A fashion-oriented, fickle target market isn't a great place to experiement with expensive, durable goods like cars. The fact that it found an unintended demographic, and ultimately failed is proof of its folly.
The Japanese entries into the luxury marques were efforts to compete for, and capture customers they didn't already have, with more profit built into the product, and the prospect of raising the stature of the company as a whole.
Unfortunately for Infiniti, it hasn't given their dealers much to sell for a while, and to fix that would be costly, time-consuming, and something Nissan is hard-pressed to afford at the moment.
Hiring an exec like de Nysschen, and allowing him to move the brand's HQ to Hong Kong, of all places, was a puzzling mistake, only topped by GM later doing the same thing by hiring him to run Cadillac, which indulged him with a move to New York.
This move isn't a retrenchment, but a retreat, on the path to a white flag. Getting those dealers to open exclusive stores was/is the hard part, the elephant Hyundai has been avoiding with Genesis, and now they have to give them up.
While costly, those are necessary steps to play in that game.
Its funny you mention Buick and Caddy, because the average Toyota buyer is older than the average GM buyer.
Which was the point of the Scion - to attract a younger crowd without rebranding a successful Toyota brand. As mentioned, they took Asian cars they already had and marketed them to a younger crowd. It was quite successful for a short time, but as mentioned there timing was terrible - right through the Great financial crisis. There was no sustained investment and hence they failed.
Its not all that different a story than Infiniti actually.
Good for them.
I hope Nissan can restructure and make a comeback. They can certainly make great vehicles if they stick to their Japanese business heritage.
Especially for its day.
Think about it, in 1990 who else has 278 hp ( really 300 hp) in a Sedan?
For comparable perfomance in a large luxury sedan you had to start looking at BMW 750 with 296 hp the V12 ( a much more expensive car and a more troublesome engine)
Mercedes came out with the V12 soon after but that was again 60% extra in price.
>>>My next door neighbour bought a brand new infinity and was very proud of it for a week or so, then all excitement vanished quickly.
Once on vacation rented the prior generation QX60 (the mid-sized one at 200 inches, on sale until 2023 I think).
what an awful "luxury" car. what an awful car. period.
the only thing memorable was the combo of the engine racket and awful drone-ing of the CVT. I don't even remember if the interior was nice.
Nissan/Infiniti, father and son killed by the CVT. ouch.
Once on vacation rented the prior generation QX60 (the mid-sized one at 200 inches, on sale until 2023 I think).
what an awful "luxury" car. what an awful car. period.
the only thing memorable was the combo of the engine racket and awful drone-ing of the CVT. I don't even remember if the interior was nice.
Nissan/Infiniti, father and son killed by the CVT. ouch.
Dentists' wives must love the things. Too bad enthusiasts don't.
Off topic, I was a shutterbug back in the film days. They came out with a capable pocket camera, the "Olympus Stylus" with a cute clamshell closing device. It was both capable and fashionable. Real photographers used them with excellent results. But then the posers got ahold of them and they were spontaneously "not cool" anymore.
BMW earned its place as a status symbol by being a driver's car. They still hold onto that title, barely, by having some halo cars. What's Infiniti's halo? Is it owned by hair stylists?
The OG 1990 Q45 was a 4 door lead sled that could do a buck-fifty. Like said above in this thread, that was something... something only the Germans pulled off beforehand. And sedans were still cool-- SUVs hadn't taken over. It was the right way to say "hello" to a new brand, especially after the delays in production. (Those brought us those "Waves on a beach" ads that didn't include any cars!)
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