Most new cars don't impress me, to be honest. Infact, I shudder and cringe every time a car gets redesigned. Usually, in a rather vain attempt to improve a car, the result is actually worse from a styling standpoint. Take the Infiniti FX, for example, along with the horrendously hideous monstrosity they call the QX56. Now feast your eyes on this!
I honestly loved the first generation Infiniti M, made only for two years; 2003 and 2004. It looked imposing without being overly styled; it never had a single bad angle, design-wise. The second generation was a bit hit or miss. Before it was slightly refreshed in 2008 the car looked as good as, if not better than the first gen. However, in an attempt to keep the car current, Infiniti bulked it up. Not just in weight-- the car itself looked fat, especially in the front fascia area. Some folks have compared the 2008 fascia to the face of a gerbil with its mouth stuffed of food; not exactly the image Infiniti was trying go for.
For 2010, the car was redesigned. Unlike most redesigns, this one actually works. It takes Infiniti's styling to a whole new level of swoopiness, a design philosophy shared with parent company Nissan. If this car didn't wear an Infiniti badge, it'd look right at home sitting next to a 370Z in a showroom.
As they say, details definitely make up the car; now, unlike BMWs new 5 Series sedan, the M is made up of little details. The headlights are perfectly placed directly under the svelte hoodline, giving an impression of "looking down", rather than staring one in the face. The side profile coincides with swiftly sweeping back taillights. Design traits such as these seem a tad sporty for a marque whose emphasis is luxury rather than sport.
However, don't let the emphasis on luxury fool you. Car and Driver recently clocked the M37 (3.7L V6) at a 5.7 second run to 60. That's quicker than last year's G37 coupe, and quicker than some models of Nissan's 350Z/370Z. While standing start acceleration is quite impressive for a car of this size, wait till you get it past the 80 MPH mark. This thing can, and will, reach 150 MPH before the limiter tells you otherwise. Competitors Audi and Jaguar have their limiters set at a snail-like 127 and 133, respectively. If you fancy a cleanly designed, not-too common luxury sedan, with more than a sprinkling of sport, the M37/56 is the car for you.
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