2008 Infiniti M45 - The Ultimate Getaway Car?

The 2008 Infiniti M45 is a rear-wheel drive muscle car disguised as a svelte and sophisticated four-door sedan. If your stockbroker turned out to be a hit man, this is the car he would drive to work for either pursuit. At an MSRP of $43,350, the M45 won’t kill your bank account, either.

The M45 seats five and packs a 325 hp wallop. An optional Rear Active Steer system offers cat- like agility. Adaptive xenon headlamps keep up with momentum by lighting the way on twisty getaway routes. Yes, the M45 is good cover and great fun! The 2008 Infiniti M45 has a 4.5-liter V8 engine that delivers 325 hp at 6,400 rpm and 336 lb/ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. According to Edmunds, the M45 has “explosive power” and is “as solid an engine as you'll find in this segment.” The M45 engine teams up with a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, rear-wheel drive, engine-speed-sensitive variable-assist rack and pinion steering, front independent double-wishbone suspension and multi-link independent rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. For 2008, the Infiniti M45 receives new interior and exterior styling tweaks including changes to the grille and rear fenders plus a choice between revised wood and aluminum trim interiors.

The Infiniti M45x AWD model is new for 2008 and has all the same standard features as the M45. It is fitted with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, a system that constantly monitors traction and instantly transfers power from the dominant rear axle to the front, proportioning power delivery to each wheel.

The M45 Sport also has the same features as the M45, but adds Rear Active Steer and a sport-tuned suspension to provide scintillating handling of a sort not usually associated with four doors.

The M45 is conservatively styled with little to suggest the rocket under its attractive, yet low- key sheet metal. Hotrod enthusiasts would call the M45 a “sleeper.” No one will suspect you have a taste for power and a passion for driving when you wheel an M45.

As laid back as the exterior is, the M45 interior pampers its occupants with a cabin that Automobile Magazine considers “on par with Mercedes and superior to Cadillac.” Road and Track says the M45’s interior styling is “backed up by dramatically improved materials and overall execution.” Edmunds.com says the cabin is “spacious,” and filled with “abundant luxury features,” and remarks it’s “well-built and attractive.” The U.S. News reviewer describes the seats as “among the cushiest I've ever inhabited.”

The M45 dashboard is admired for its sleek design with an instrument panel housing gauges ringed by orange luminance. All trim levels of the M include Infiniti Intelligent Key with push-button start ignition, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, voice recognition, dual-zone automatic temperature control, mild-flow vents, outside temperature display, rear console-mounted vents, illuminated entry, front double sun visors and illuminated vanity mirrors and dual front and rear cupholders. The M45’s optional Advanced Technology Package includes Bose Studio

Surround Sound, 14 speakers, a center console-mounted DVD player, in-dash single-feed six-disc changer with MP3 and WMA, satellite radio and a number of other features. Car and Driver calls the 14-speaker Bose surround sound upgrade “remarkable,” and adds that it “has the band virtually playing in the car with you.” Reviewers like the Infiniti Navigation System, also featured in the Technology Package. Motor Trend finds the navigation system “intuitive and easy to use.”

The M comes equipped with a traction control system, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Brake Assist, four-wheel antilock brakes and Vehicle Dynamic Control - all the active safety equipment a driver requires. Should a crash be unavoidable, it’s good to know the M45 received a rating of “Good,” the best possible, in frontal-impact crash tests and in side-impact crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Infiniti calls its approach to safety the “Infiniti Safety Shield.” It consists of comprehensive, advanced airbag coverage, lane departure warning and recovery capabilities, Preview Braking, a system that detects a rapidly slowing vehicle ahead and pre-pressurizes the braking system

for instantaneous reaction and active front lighting that causes the headlamps to turn with the car, lighting the way around curves.

Need a great “getaway car?” The 2008 Infiniti M45 is a stealthy standout with the power to out-accelerate, the suspension to out-handle and the traction to out-maneuver in any pursuit you may encounter.

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