Infiniti is the luxury car division of Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Infiniti sales officially started in November 8, 1989 in North America and its global operations have since grown to include Mexico, the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Switzerland, China and Ukraine. Today, the Infiniti global network includes more than 230 dealers in 15 countries.

Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., unveiled Infiniti's arrival in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show 2008. The official launch is scheduled in the autumn of 2008 and will be phased over a two year period as Infiniti rolls out its operations across 21 European countries. Infiniti Europe's headquarters are based in Rolle, Switzerland.

All current Infiniti coupes, sedans and crossovers are based on the Nissan FM platform. The center of the engine is placed behind the front wheels. This placement makes weight distribution more even, which is intended to improve braking, acceleration, and handling. It also reduces the polar moment of inertia. The only exception is the QX56 full-size SUV, which rides on the Nissan F-Alpha platform.

Infiniti's model name designation includes one letter for coupés and sedans (two letters for SUVs) and a number reflecting engine displacement. For example, the QX56 is an SUV featuring a 5.6 L engine. An exception to this was the QX4 SUV, which featured a 3.3 L engine (1997-2000) and later a 3.5 L engine (2001-2003). An 'x' following the engine displacement of Infiniti sedans denotes an all wheel drive model (e.g. Infiniti G35x) while 's' denotes a sport package model on all models, and a 't' for a Touring model (older models only)

1989: The beginning

Better advertising and the introduction of award-winning models eventually made Infiniti a contender in the luxury vehicle segment of the American market. Since 1989, sales have consistently grown. The company's logo is a combination of a stylized highway infinitely heading towards a distant horizon and a modified infinity symbol.

Infiniti began to take part of the luxury market mostly thanks to its popular Q45, which was based on the JDM Nissan President on a shortened wheelbase.. The vehicle included a class-leading (at the time) 278 hp (207 kW) V8 engine, four wheel steering, the first active suspension system offered on a motor vehicle, and numerous interior luxury appointments. These made it competitive against the German imports like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which by the time of Infiniti's release had overtaken Cadillac and Lincoln in dominating the luxury segment of the American market.

Launched alongside the Q45 sedan in 1990, the 2-door M30 coupe was able to hold steady but relatively weak sales during its three production years. The M30 was basically an "Americanized" version of the Japanese Nissan Leopard F31, built mainly to compete with the Acura Legend coupe. Unlike the Nissan Leopard, the M30 was available with only one engine choice; the Nissan VG30E "V6 3000", and one transmission, the Nissan RE4R01A 4-speed automatic with electronic overdrive. This small amount of power was not enough to propel the rear-wheel drive, M30 fast enough. In 1991, a convertible M30 joined the lineup, but its life was rather short-lived. Only two years after being introduced to the American market, the M30 was discontinued.