M45 Adds All-Wheel Drive!

[AZhitman]

What do you give the luxury sedan that has everything? Traction!

The new Infiniti M45 sports sedan is now available with the intelligent Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split (ATTESA E-TS™) all-wheel drive (AWD). Powered by a 4.5-liter, 325-hp V8, the AWD version is known as the Infiniti M45x. The 2008 Infiniti M45 also receives the Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system plus a series of interior and exterior styling enhancements and added luxury amenities and technologies.

With an MSRP of $43,050, the Infiniti M45 is one of the best values in the full-size sports/luxury car segment, fully comparable to the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Acura RL and Lexus GS. As the Chicago Sun-Times says, "The M is a no-excuses player in the sports/luxury sedan field, and its price advantage is icing on the cake." With the addition of AWD, the M45x is simply more capable and even more competitive.

The M45 has a masculine presence that reviewers describe as muscular and athletic. They like the crisply styled bodywork and aero roofline and praise the M45 for having style without flash. The exterior enhancements for 2008 include revised front and rear fascia, grille, rear fender panels, rear decklid and taillight designs, new chrome accents and new 18-inch and 19-inch sport aluminum-alloy wheels.

The most distinctive aspects of the M45 are its power and speed. The M45 continues to offer a powerful DOHC 4.5-liter V8, an engine that’s shared with the premium FX45. It is rated at 325 hp and 336 lb/ft of torque. The engine design includes titanium valves, modular cylinder heads, a micro-finished crankshaft, lightweight pistons and a super-silent, single-stage cam drive chain to help optimize performance. A variable length air induction system and Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) enhance the engine’s power delivery and operation efficiency.

As Edmunds reports, "If performance and handling are your primary concern, you'll be happy with this Infiniti, which outdistances the competition when the rubber hits the road." According to Edmunds, the M45 has "explosive power" and "as solid an engine as you'll find in this segment." The 2008 M45 gets an EPA-estimated 16 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway. The new M45x with AWD gets an EPA estimated 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.

The big news in the M department is the Infiniti M45x with the ATTESA E-TS™ all-wheel drive system. 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-TS™ system provides sportscar-like handling and cornering capability due to optimum torque distribution between the front and rear wheels (50:50 up to 0:100). Combined with the vehicle’s stability control system, each wheel receives the appropriate amount of torque when needed.

The M45x can be equipped with 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’s sport 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 sportscar-like agility, combined with luxury sedan stability and ride quality.

Inside the M45, performance car attributes give way to luxury car comforts. This is not old-fogy luxury, however, but an interior equipped with the latest automotive technologies. For example, the 2008 M45 features an upgraded Infiniti Hard Drive Navigation System with touchscreen, a 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for digital music storage and playback and available XM NavTraffic®, as well as new white and violet instrument panel and interior lighting and standard XM Satellite Radio. In addition to the advanced navigation system, other available M technology includes a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, an Infiniti Information Display with seven-inch LCD screen and easy-to-use controls, Infiniti voice recognition and RearView Monitor.

For 2008, the Infiniti M is offered in four models: the M35 (V6 rear-wheel drive), M35x AWD (V6 all-wheel drive), M45 (V8 rear-wheel drive) and M45x (V8 all-wheel drive). The M35 and M45 are also offered with a comprehensive Sport Package with Rear Active Steer, unique suspension tuning, 19-inch wheels and tires, sport-bolstered and trimmed front seats, a sport steering wheel, aluminum pedal accents and unique body styling.

[szh]

Good Stuff™!

Thanks for the write-up, Greg. We have had info on this before, but detail always causes the drool factor to increase!

Z

[mahmudb]

Good write up!

On another topic have you guys seen the new redesigned Acura RL for 2009?? Honestly it looks exactly like the new Accord. I think Infiniti M is the best looking and best priced vehicle in its category.