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Infiniti M: Pat Boone or Elvis Presley?

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Alex Law
In light of the mostly bland nature of their offerings, it's true that Lexus and Pat Boone make a much better analogy than Lexus and the exciting Elvis Presley, but we're talking about success and fame here, so it has to be Lexus and The King, and Infiniti and Pat Boone.

"Infiniti and Pat Boone?," I can hear you older folks saying, but only barely above the younger folks' chorus of ''Pat Who?''

Either response underlines perfectly the point I want to make about the vast difference in status of Presley and Boone today (king and curiosity, essentially), which makes it almost impossible to believe that, early in their careers (the late 1950s), the two singers were sometimes seen as competing for the top spot in teen hearts.

As it happens, Lexus and Infiniti were widely seen as being equals when they started out, and that was only 15 years ago, not 50. I think it's safe to say they didn't stay close for long, as Lexus has become one of the leading luxury brands in North America and Infiniti hasn't.

Infiniti actually did a better job with the launch, and the upscale arm of Nissan did a better job with the Q45 than Toyota's upscale arm did with the LS400.

Through the 1990s, while Lexus kept turning out ever-better versions of the featureless LS model and a rapidly expanding lineup of similar cars and they caught on with people who don't care about cars with character, the Infiniti brand lost its focus and became irrelevant to many buyers, like Pat Boone. I knew it would make sense when I explained it to you.

Anyway, Lexus is famously about ''the relentless pursuit of perfection'' and Infiniti is about what -- trying to sell more cars at a higher profit margin? Who knows.

Whatever star the company is following, it certainly has enough talented people to turn out solid (the I35) and even freaky (FX45) models, so the debut of the 2006 M lineup is certainly worth some eyeball time on a car lover's part.

It's available as the M35 and M45, with the former using a 3.5-litre V-6 rated at 280 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque and the later using a 4.5-litre V-8 good for 335 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. Both are hooked up to five-speed automatic transmissions.

The M35 starts at $54,800 in the front-drive version and $58,300 as the M35x AWD.

For the M45, expect to pay $64,400 for the base version, or $71,800 for the M45 Sport.

These engines will be familiar to anyone conversant with the Infiniti lineup -- the V-6 is also used in the G35 and FX35, while the V-8 also does duty in the Q45 and FX45.

All Infiniti M models come equipped with leather-appointed seats and trim, power sliding glass sunroof, Voice Recognition, Bluetooth wireless technology, back-up monitor, xenon headlamps with Adaptive Front lighting System, Intelligent Key with push-button ignition, Bose audio system, Infiniti Vehicle Information System with a 17-cm LCD screen, climate controlled front seats, Vehicle Dynamic Control, pre-crash seat belts and Advanced Air Bag System.

Regardless of price or engine, every Infiniti M utilizes an ''enhanced next generation'' version of the Front Mid-ship (FM) platform currently used on the G35 sedan, G35 coupe and FX SUV. Indeed, about 60 percent of the platform design and components have been enhanced for use with the all-new M.

The M suspension is an independent double-wishbone design in front and multi-link independent system in the rear, resting on 18-inch wheels.

The M45 Sport model gets a sport-tuned suspension with Rear Active Steer, aluminum interior trim accents, and standard 19-inch wheels and tires.
Alex Law
Alex Law
Automotive expert