::Events>2002>New York Auto Show

The 2002 New York International Auto Show will be remembered for years to come. Not only for it being the first car show in the Big Apple since September 11th, but for the amazing amount of downright great cars that have debuted there. As always, we’ll focus on what’s coming out of Nissan and Infiniti. 
 

Nissan unloaded a bag of tricks that not only shocked us, but must have been a clear sign that they’re here for the long haul. Sure, the Altima, Q45, G35 sedan, and 350Z are all great; but now we’ve seen enough of them. Plus, these vehicles came during a time of great change within Nissan. Now that the company is on stable ground, with two pillars known as the FF-L platform and FM platform ready to be fully tapped, we can expect Nissan to create cars without being sidetracked by anything. The new Murano and G35 Sport Coupe prove this. 
 

With the Murano based on the FF-L (formerly SS-L) platform, much of it’s development work is already complete. They also already had the VQ35DE engine in their parts bin, so there’s even less to work on. The designers were free to work on the small things that, when added up, create an amazing vehicle. The Germans have known this for years, and the proof really is in the details. 

With most of the engineering out of the way, they now have at least a little more time to focus on styling. And the Murano does have a lot of style. To some, it may be strange or ugly, but to others its just a really good looking car. It certainly has a lot of details, and while this editor may not have warmed up to the look completely, it does have a look of quality. 

Community Forum: NYIAS 2002: Murano debut
 

The G35 Sport Coupe also signifies many of the same things that the Murano does. But it goes further to establish proof that Nissan really is ready to go cutting-edge with its luxo brand. The Q45 was a first small step, but it’s lacking that bit of polish. And that is to be expected, it must be hard to develop a world-class luxury sedan when you don’t know if the brand will survive another year. The G35 sedan, was a major step forward. It advanced the Infiniti “look,” but more importantly, it was extremely well thought out in the details. This new coupe, well.... its “just stunning.” It proves that Nissan is willing to go out on a limb with Infiniti styling and actually create something with a soul. To that, we say, Bravo Nissan and Infiniti!

Community Forum: NYIAS 2002: Infiniti G35 coupe debut

Now, that leaves us with the Infiniti M45. The reaction so far on our community forums and others is surprisingly negative. Why? There’s probably a few reasons. The most important is that this vehicle wasn’t meant to be an Infiniti. Its a Japanese VIP car, and an old one at that. It was created under the tail end of the old Nissan regime. It doesn’t look like an Infiniti either. It just seems like a first-gen I30, a model created to pump up volume at the detriment of the brand’s identity. Look at the picture below and squint your eyes; you'd swear it was a second gen Q45 there. But then again, we'll hold off final judgment until we see and drive the car in person.

Community Forum: NYIAS 2002: Infiniti M45 debut
 

Another plus for both Nissan and Infiniti is use of new telematics and satellite technology, finally. After much delay, the Wingcast telematics system developed by Ford is finally getting off the ground and will be offered in the G35, Q45, and M45 in 2003. It offers features like automatic emergency notification if the airbags deploy, stolen vehicle tracking, hands-free voice-activated calling, and information services such as news stocks and weather. By now, you probably know what satellite radio is. Via the likes of XM and Sirius (both of which will be offered on G35, Q45, I35, Murano, and Pathfinder), you can receive over 100 channels of digital quality audio and have access all across America. Many of these stations are commercial free. The offering of Wingcast and satellite radio proves the point that Nissan is focusing on the details. 

Overall, the future looks bright for Nissan. If only they calm down and put away that panic button that has produced image deteriorating cars like the I30, QX4, second gen Q, and now the M45. 

-Mike Cervantes and Noel Saw