Infiniti

Infiniti was created to allow Nissan to compete in the U.S. luxury segment without diluting its mainstream brand, a strategy also pursued simultaneously by Toyota with Lexus and Honda with Acura. The Plaza Accord of 1985 and resulting voluntary Japanese export restraints encouraged automakers to export fewer, more expensive vehicles, making the premium-brand model commercially attractive.

The brand launched with two models: the Q45, a full-size luxury sedan based on the second-generation Nissan President, powered by a 278 hp V8 with four-wheel steering and active suspension; and the M30, a two-door coupé based on the Nissan Leopard with a 162 hp V6. The launch campaign was distinctive for emphasizing nature imagery and Zen aesthetics rather than showing the actual cars — a decision that generated awareness but confused buyers and contributed to slow initial sales.

Through the mid-1990s Infiniti lagged well behind Lexus and Acura in sales. The Q45 was criticized for having retreated from its original sporty character into a ponderous handler that earned the nickname "The Japanese Lincoln." Infiniti lacked an entry-level sedan competitive with the Acura Legend and Lexus GS until the I30 (based on the Nissan Cefiro) arrived in 1996, followed later by the G35. The brand also entered the compact luxury segment with the G20, derived from the Nissan Primera, but it underperformed due to misaligned marketing and insufficient differentiation from the mainstream Nissan range.

By 2000, Infiniti was at risk of being discontinued. The brand's revival coincided with Nissan's alliance with Renault under CEO Carlos Ghosn and the broader Nissan Revival Plan. Ghosn redirected Infiniti toward performance-oriented luxury with explicit reference to BMW as the competitive benchmark.

The Infiniti G35 sedan, based on the Nissan Skyline and voted Motor Trend Car of the Year in 2003, proved transformative. The G35's success enabled Infiniti to be repositioned as a sporting luxury brand. The M35/M45 series garnered further critical acclaim, winning a multi-car comparison in Car and Driver and being named the best luxury sedan by Consumer Reports. The FX35/45 crossover, sharing components with the G35, extended the brand's appeal into the performance SUV segment.

Infiniti's global expansion accelerated in this period. Carlos Ghosn unveiled the brand's arrival in Europe at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, with Infiniti establishing a European headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland.

In 2012, Infiniti moved its global headquarters from Nissan's offices in Yokohama to Hong Kong, incorporating as Infiniti Global Limited, as the brand sought to capitalize on growth in the Chinese luxury market. A new model nomenclature was introduced in 2013: all coupes and sedans were designated with the letter Q followed by a positioning number, while all SUVs and crossovers used QX. The M sedan became the Q70, the G sedan became the Q50, the QX56 became the QX80, and so on.

Despite these efforts, Infiniti struggled to establish the brand equity needed to compete with established German luxury marques. In 2019 the brand announced it would exit Western European markets due to a combination of poor sales, the ongoing Brexit uncertainty, and its inability to achieve meaningful scale. It also withdrew from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian markets by 2020, concentrating on North America, China, and the Middle East.

In January 2018, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa announced that Infiniti would transition to an electric brand, with all new vehicles planned to be hybrid or fully electric by 2021. In November 2021, Nissan formally committed to making Infiniti 100% battery-electric by 2030. By August 2024, the Q50 sedan was discontinued due to insufficient sales, leaving Infiniti as an SUV-only brand in its remaining markets.

Infiniti's motorsport history has spanned two distinct chapters. In 1996, Nissan launched an Indy Racing League program using a racing variant of the VH V8 engine from the Q45 production car. The program ran through 2002, achieving modest results including a win at Pikes Peak International Raceway in 2000 for driver Eddie Cheever, before Nissan quietly wound down the effort.

The second and higher-profile chapter began in 2011 when Infiniti became the title sponsor of Red Bull Racing in Formula One, a relationship facilitated by Red Bull's existing collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Sebastian Vettel was signed as Infiniti's first global brand ambassador that year. During this period, Infiniti engineering resources contributed to the development of the Energy Recovery System in the Red Bull power unit, and the Infiniti Engineering Academy placed engineering students at Renault F1 Team facilities. Infiniti ended its Red Bull sponsorship after the 2015 season but continued a technical collaboration with the Renault F1 Team, which the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance re-entered directly in 2016.

In 2020, Laser Tools Racing entered Infiniti Q50 saloons in the British Touring Car Championship. Ash Sutton won the BTCC Drivers' Championship in that car, and the team retained the title the following year.