Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Infiniti is a car that few people will remember from a brand that’s typically an afterthought. Let’s see if this sports sedan is priced to warrant a second look.
It’s interesting that yesterday’s 1986 Chevy Cavalier Z24 took its name (Cavalier, not Z24) from a term that’s typically used as a mild derogatory. Oh sure, there are Cavalier Spaniels that are cute and probably haven’t ever done anything to deserve anyone’s scorn, but why drag them into this? The same couldn’t be said about our Cavalier’s $7,500 price, though. That earned a good bit of scorn in the comments and a hefty 80 percent No Dice loss.
Have you ever done something as a stopgap measure? Maybe duct taped the water hose so you could get that last load of laundry done, or drank your own whizz while waiting for the rains while marooned on a desert island? Sure, we’ve all had those moments.
Infiniti had one of those last-minute lineup filler needs back just after the turn of the century. The company’s Leopard-based mid-ranger, the M30, had long ago joined the AARP. That left a sizable gap right in the middle of their lineup and the sweet spot of consumer spending. Cue the entrance of another rebranded model, the Japanese market Cedric/Gloria, into which the company slapped a new suspension and standard kitted 4.5-liter V8.
This 2003 M45 is the result, and while it’s not really something you might want to hang in an art gallery, it—especially in muted Dark Gray—does project a pretty cool gangster aesthetic. The car would project that for just two years in the U.S. Being a retread of an existing model that’s how long it lasted before being replaced by an all-new M45 for the 2006 model year. There were no ’05 M45s.
This one is one of only about 7,500 sold during that short two-year model run. It has a modest 105,000 miles on the clock, and the seller boasts that it’s “a beautiful retro vehicle.” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for those who dig the M45’s looks, this one seems to be a fairly solid example of the breed and, hence, worth considering.
According to the ad’s description, the car has never been in an accident and is free of any issues with the bodywork or paint. The factory alloys also appear to be free of scrapes despite the alarmingly close-to-the-curb parking job the ad’s pictures offer.
Infiniti always does fairly nice cabins and this one is no exception. It has the de rigueur analog clock in the center stack and an appreciably big screen for its age above that. You get a lot of amenities here, too. The car comes loaded with dual-zone climate control, cruise, and heated front seats. BOSE provides the sounds via radio, a six-disc CD changer, or a cassette deck.
The engine here is Nissan’s VK45DE V8, a DOHC all-alloy mill good for 340 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. The seller doesn’t say anything about the car’s mechanical condition or maintenance history but does claim the car to be “So fast and sporty to drive,” so we can wager that it’s likely OK. It comes with a clean title and a $6,400 asking price.
This seems like a lot of car for that kind of money. Is it, however, the best use of that cash? There are, after all, a ton of vehicles in this price range that might be more economical or easier on the eyes.
In the car’s defense, it is a luxury sports sedan with a decent amount of power and rarity in its favor. Could that make it worth that $6,400 asking? Or is that too much to make a stop-gap car fill in as a daily driver?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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