Your first glance at the Q45 may provoke a "seen it before" reaction. The big 4-door sedan does indeed have a design inspiration, one that appears to come largely from the folks who penned the lovely Jaguar XJ Series sedans. The proportions of hood, greenhouse and rear deck are the first tip-off, followed by the pronounced "shoulder" between the rearmost roof pillar and the rear fender. The grille, added in the 1994 redo, looks as if it was drawn in England, not Japan.That said, it must be emphasized that the Q45 has an overall look of its own. Inspiration is not plagiarism, and no one will mistake an Infiniti for a Jaguar. And the Q45 is a wonderfully attractive car. Some may find the grille less appealing than the plain front panel of 1990-93, but that's a matter of individual preference, and few will have any but kind words for the balance and masterful detailing of the body shape.
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