Exterior and Interior Designs
From a design standpoint, the INFINITI M optimizes both luxury and sport styling to create a dynamic visual appeal. The exterior styling includes refined front grille and bumpers, lower air intake, fog lamps and side sills. In the rear, the M features its classic fenders, taillights and deck lid. There are also chrome bodyside accents. M45 Sport models have greater visual differentiation than in previous years, including unique front and rear bumpers, headlight colour and side sills.
The M’s expressive grille and crystal-look headlight clusters offer a luxurious appeal, while large 18- or 19-inch wheels and low profile tires, stable posture with wide track, and short overhangs contribute to the sportiness of the design.
The INFINITI M’s long wheelbase and short overhangs provide a roomy interior and sporty exterior dimensions. Wide front and rear tracks add to handling stability, while the overall width enhances interior and trunk volume. Also featured are lightweight body components, including aluminum-alloy inner and outer door panels, hood and decklid panels.
The M’s interior design engages the senses in invigorating ways, combining a driver-oriented cockpit with a graceful, INFINITI level of luxury and design detail.
For 2010, the M keeps its interior look with “Fine Vision” electroluminescent gauges, “gear-like” rings on the instrument cluster meters, aluminum trim surface texturing, wood trim and door trim and full gray interior colour. M45 Sport models receive unique steering wheel and shift knob stitching, unique front seat designs and aluminum-trimmed pedals.
The 2010 M interior also offers an INFINITI Hard Drive Navigation System with touch-screen, 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for digital music storage and playback.
The M’s modern, intuitive interior feel and layout focuses on purposeful simplicity. Interior features include genuine Rosewood or aluminum trim, leather-appointed seats, “Fine Vision” electroluminescent gauges, climate controlled front seats, standard XM® Satellite Radio (requires active XM® subscription, sold separately) and available features such as heated power reclining rear seats and advanced Bose® Studio Surround™ sound system with digital 5.1-channel decoding and 14 speakers including two personal speakers mounted in the shoulders of each front seat. The interior also offers an array of driver and passenger-oriented technology features, including the INFINITI Intelligent Key® system with Push Button Start, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, available RearView Monitor and Intelligent Cruise Control.
Vibrant Performance with Available AWD and Rear Active Steer
When the INFINITI M went on sale as an all-new 2006 model it captured essential elements of both a luxury performance sedan and an award-winning sports sedan. Its performance is equally engaging in the V8-equipped M45 or V6-equipped M35x.
For the 2010 model year, the M35X continues with the VQ35HR engine providing 303 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Driver’s Sport (DS) mode continues throughout the M lineup.
The M45 continues to offer a powerful DOHC 4.5-litre V8. It is rated at 325 horsepower and 336 lb-ft of torque. The engine design includes titanium valves, modular cylinder heads, microfinished crankshaft, lightweight pistons and super-silent single stage cam drive chain to help optimize performance. In addition, the VK45DE is outfitted with a variable length air induction system and Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) to enhance the engine’s power delivery and operation efficiency.
Every INFINITI M utilizes an enhanced next-generation FM (Front Mid-ship) platform also used on the G37 Sedan, G37 Coupe and FX premium crossover SUV.
The refined FM platform positions the engine behind the front axle. This positioning results in an optimized front-to-rear weight balance, which factors in weight transfer during key handling maneuvers.
The M suspension is an independent double-wishbone design in front and multi-link independent system in the rear, along with front and rear stabilizer bars.
The INFINITI M’s large diameter wheels and tires are positioned out near the corners of the vehicle, helping to further enhance handling and driving excitement. The 2010 M series still features split 5-spoke 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with titanium finish and new, unique split 5-spoke 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels for M45 Sport models. Aggressive low-profile tires, sized 245/45VR18 and 245/40WR19 (M45 Sport only), are standard.
The M also utilizes standard 4-wheel power-assisted vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). The steering system is an electronically controlled vehicle-speed-sensitive power-assisted rack-and-pinion design. Every INFINITI M also features INFINITI’s advanced Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS). VDC adjusts brake pressure and engine torque automatically in understeer, oversteer or slippery road surface situations, helping the driver keep the intended path.
For drivers seeking the enhanced all-climate performance of all-wheel drive, the M35x and M45x models feature the ATTESA E-TSÔ (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) all-wheel drive system also utilized on FX35/FX50. It uses an advanced torque split control strategy that automatically transfers optimum torque to the wheels according to road and driving conditions.
The ATTESA E-TSÔ system provides sports car-like handling and cornering capability due to optimum torque distribution between the front and rear wheels (50:50 up to 0:100). ATTESA E-TSÔ also provides high starting traction performance and smooth, stable acceleration, especially in snow-covered or off-road situations with a 50:50 torque split at standing start. Combined with the vehicle’s VDC system, each wheel receives the appropriate amount of torque when needed.
The handling and stability of the INFINITI M Sport model is further optimized by INFINITI’s Rear Active Steer system. Unlike passive rear steering systems, this design features precise, electronic motor-driven control. This system helps improve the M Sport’s handling performance by adjusting the geometry of the rear suspension according to steering input and vehicle speed.
The system’s electronic control unit calculates the desired vehicle dynamics from a series of sensors, including vehicle speed and steering angle, and directs the system actuator to change rear geometry by moving both rear suspension lower links. The result is sports car-like agility, combined with luxury sedan stability and ride quality.
Lane Departure Prevention System
Another major advancement back for the 2010 INFINITI M is the availability of the advanced Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system. The LDP system made its worldwide production debut on the 2008 M and 2008 INFINITI EX35 luxury crossover SUV, and received very positive reviews.
LDP took INFINITI’s Lane Departure Warning system one step further by utilizing the Vehicle Dynamic Control to apply slight brake pressure to the wheels opposite the side of the lane departure direction to help prevent the M from inadvertently traveling out of its intended lane.
Like Lane Departure Warning, the LDP system uses a small camera installed behind the windshield to detect lane markers in front of the vehicle and calculate its position relative to lane markers and warn the driver of lane drift (pending lane change without use of the turn signal) with a visual display and audible buzzer. If the driver does not return the vehicle in the direction of the centre of the travel lane, the LDP system assists the driver by using gentle control (generating part of the necessary yaw movement), using the VDC’s brake actuator to control the brake pressure of each individual wheel to generate the intended movement.
Other safety features include an INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage front supplemental air bags with Occupant Classification System and roof-mounted side-impact curtain air bags, 3-point ALR/ELR seat belts (driver’s seat ELR only), front seat belt adjustable upper anchors with pretensioners and load limiters, front seat Active Head Restraints and available brake operated front pre-crash seat belts, which tighten under emergency braking in anticipation of an evasive maneuver or crash. Auto door locks are now standard on all vehicles, a feature that can be enabled or disabled with simple instructions located in the owner’s manual.
Every 2010 M also includes Zone Body construction with energy-dispersing side structure, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether for Children) child seat anchorage system and Zone Body platform design with front and rear crumple zones.
Three Fully Equipped Models
For 2010, the INFINITI M is offered in three models: the M35x AWD Luxury(V6 all-wheel drive), M45x Luxury(V8 all-wheel drive) and the M45 Sport with Rear Active Steer, unique suspension tuning, 19-inch wheels and tires, sport-bolstered and trimmed front seats, sport steering wheel, aluminum pedal accents and unique body styling.
Other option packages include the Technology Package, Premium Package for M35x and the Touring Package for M45x.