Tom Orbe. For a man that has been through Nissan in various positions, his company's prospective comeback must be one of the sweetest feelings in the world. No matter the predicament, Orbe with is clean looks and charming disposition has never wavered in the face of Nissan's most trying times. The future is brighter than ever for Infiniti. Orbe is looking forward to the day he doesn't have to look back anymore.

Well the next generation 2002 Q45 will surely make it easier for him. With its LCD screen that receives an image from the rear view; and an engine that catapults him from 0-60 in less than six seconds, the past will only bring a more satisfying smile to his face.

Recently, FreshAlloy.com had the chance to ask him a few questions.

Now that Infiniti is slated to be a world brand, what are the implications for the Infiniti brand name in the US? Will this raise any "world car" design/technology issues such as Ford has been blessed/plagued with?

We believe Infiniti is a world-class, tier 1 automotive maker, Currently we only sell our products in North America and there have not been any firm plans announced to date that Infiniti will be a "world brand" Selling vehicles outside of the North American markets. With the current, highly competitive automotive environment we must always think about the global market. This past April, we had the "world premier" of the next generation 2002 Q45, definitely a world-class luxury car that will compete head-to-head with the finest performance-luxury cars on the planet. This car is slated, at this point only to be sold in North America.

What message does the new 2002 Q45 express to the public? 

This new Q45 definitely makes a statement, ground-shaking performance, unparalleled luxury, leading-edge technology, world-class handling and what we believe, is all wrapped up in a distinctively-styled car. It not only will set new standards in performance, but will also show the public and our competitors that Infiniti is back! When we began a little over 10years ago with this luxury franchise, we were noted for two things, things that we had an advantage of over our competitors - performance and customer service. We've never faltered on our customer service standards -still the highest in the industry - now we've got the automobiles to prove the performance aspect once again.

Will Infiniti initiate a policy of sharing fewer platforms with Nissan? 

Infiniti will offer distinct products that will be separate from the vehicles Nissan has to offer, unique in terms of the styling, engines, technology. We made a business decision a while back to consolidate vehicle platforms around the world, this saves a lot of money, it's a wise business decision. Therefore, yes we will continue to share platforms with other Nissan vehicles, to what extent I can't say right now. Most automakers do it, it's part of doing smart business and ultimately providing consumers with what they want.

Can we expect an Infiniti coupe in the future?

No plans right now for a coupe, we'll address customer demands as we look to grow this franchise. If the customer demand is there for a vehicle like that then this is the type of vehicle we would consider. Stay tuned.

What has been your favorite Infiniti vehicle (1990-2000)?What attributes of  that model compel you to choose it? 

Definitely the new 2002 Q45, I can't get one right now and that pains me, it will truly be a great car, I've seen the prototypes and driven the test mules, and I can honestly say that this is/will be my favorite. It harks back to the original Q45, one that set new standards for it's time, I was a big fan of the original Q45 as well.

The QX4 (and the Pathfinder) received the world's first application of the VQ35DE engine - even before the Japanese market. Will this be a continuing trend of cutting edge technology being premiered first in North America? 

North America is a market of significant importance (for all automakers) for us globally. We must realize to be competitive here, we'll need the newest is cutting edge design, styling and technology, therefore yes you will be seeing more "premiered" technology here first, the XVL concept car (which we announced will be a production Infiniti for 2003) will be another example of that.

Is the G20 worth saving past the 2001 model year? Is there an alternate Infiniti entry-level strategy? 

The G20 is still a popular car for us, we're selling at/near our estimated targets for that car. Customers tell us they love it, they think it great that they can get so much car and all the benefits of our terrific customer care we call the Total ownership Experience for around 20K.It'simportant for us that we can offer all of that to those that might not beat the point in there lives where a 30-50k vehicle makes sense. As I've already stated, we're going to produce the XVL in the near future, that will be a front engine, V6 powered, rear drive sedan. It will probably be priced higher than the G20 so we're not sure if were ready to call it our entry-level sedan.

Do you strategize future product against specific model targets in the Lexus, Acura and Euro-lux (BMW, Mercedes, and Audi) lines, or simply fill existing class segments with the best product possible within cost parameters? 

 We target our models based on consumer demand. We do a lot of consumer feedback studies to determine what people want from a luxury franchise and our role is to fill those needs and anticipate them. Consumers dictate our product development. We might have something we think might sell, that might be popular with consumers, but you can't guess in this business, you have to be sure there's a market for a specific vehicle.

-Antonio Caridi and Ken Melville