Infiniti M

The "M" nameplate has been used on various mid-luxury cars from the Infiniti luxury division of Nissan.The first iteration was the M30 Coupe/Convertible, which were rebadged JDM Nissan Leopard.After a long hiatus, the M nameplate was used for Infiniti's mid-luxury sedans (executive cars). First was the short-lived M45 sedan, a rebadged version of the Japanese-spec Nissan Gloria. The next generations, the M35/45 and M37/56/35h/30d, became the flagship of the Infiniti brand and are based on the JDM Nissan Fuga.

The 2003 Infiniti M45 was based on the Y34-series Nissan Gloria, with styling almost identical to the Japanese-specification Gloria. In contrast to the Japanese models, which were available only with V6 engines, the M45 was powered by Nissan's VK45DE V8, producing 340 hp (254 kW) and 333 lb·ft (451 N·m) of torque, which it shared with the Infiniti's flagship Q45.
The vehicle was something of a stop-gap solution for Infiniti, providing them with a viable competitor for such cars as the Lexus GS, particularly the V8 GS400/430. When introduced in North America, it was using a Japanese design that was already several years old. Its styling was often criticized for being generic and homely.[ the other hand, it did allow Infiniti to expand the use of the 4.5L V8 that had been exclusive to the Q45, thus creating a better economy of scale to cope with that engine's development costs.