Iceman

"Totally different"? I beg to differ. I'm no Infiniti enthusiast (so that puts me solidly in with 99% of the marketplace at large) and from a distance I can't tell the difference between this freshened M and the last one, or between an M and a G. They do look distinctly "Infiniti" (except for the new Altima coupe which looks a lot like an Infiniti as well), but that's about it; otherwise they're horribly bland and indistinguishable from one another.

TRDFantasy

As SICK said, some of you are confusing similarities with sameness. The 2008 M compared with the G35 has virtually the exact same tails. Both models have L shaped tails with two circular LED elements, as well as a horizontal white strip where the tail extends to the trunk. Both of them also have the same kinks or shoulder lines on their hoods.

There is a very fine line between family resemblence and all your cars looking way too similar from one another. The ES and IS have similarly shaped headlights, but that's it. Their tails have different shapes and designs, and so do their front ends overall. But also keep in mind the ES and IS are in the same price bracket. The GS is in a higher price bracket, and the GS has unique headlights as well as tails.

If I were an Infiniti M owner, I would be angered that my car looks so similar to a lower priced G. The M needs more unique styling.

Don't think this criticism doesn't apply to other automakers. Lexus was criticized in the 90s for the LS looking too much like an S Class. BMW was criticized in Germany during the 90's for having a design language analogous to "one sausage, three lengths" which in other words meant their cars looked too much alike.

al7ezza

I personally do not like the idea of a "family" look these days, which lost the car characteristics

ba-b4

meh I personally can't tell much of a difference either. Looks the same more or less.

S8B

Obviously, you are at the other end of the spectrum when it comes to an "Infiniti enthusiast".

Many here will argue that the G & M are too much alike, but the same applies to Lexus according to many BMW forums; and the same applies to Mercedes-Benz from an Infiniti forum... biased opinions will always be there.

The point is, these two cars resemble each other just as the C Class does to the E-Class, 3-Series does to the 5-series, and the GS does to the IS. Like I said, its nothing bad nor is it going to negatively impact their sales.

The Altima Coupe does share a similar profile & demension with the G Coupe, but I just don't see how that makes it look "Infiniti". Last time I checked the Toyota Avalon does not look Lexus-like only because of its similarity to the Lexus ES; nor does the Camry look anything "Lexus" like an IS350.

Opinions are opinions; I try to respect them my best. But it would help if we all tried to see things from many point of views, not just from a Lexus side of things

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MikeSC4

Wow I am thoroughly impressed. The M was a good looking car, but now it looks much better. I'd be upset if I bought an 07.

Anyways one thing Infiniti has been doing well lately is refreshing their cars without ruining them. I was afraid the M was gonna get those clear Fuga tailights. The FX and 1st gen G were also tastefully refreshed. Subtle is the key, anything more just ruins the car.

As far as looking like the G is concerned, its called brand identity. I have no problem with it. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Acura have no problem with it. It seems like Lexus is the only one without brand identity. Mercedes is the king. Seriously all their cars look the same. The C, CLK, CL, E, S, SL all have very similar looking headlights and tailights. BMW is using the celis tailights in all of their models. Thats a good thing though. The LED rings are an Infiniti thing. I would like to look at a car and know its an Infiniti. Lexus doesnt seem to have anything. I love Lexus, but the recent tailight and headlight designs look generic.

S8B

Kudos for a great post with minimal bias

As far as brand identity, its a natural approach for almost any company. Just like human siblings have similar characteristics, why shouldnt cars?
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LexFather

I am going everyone to knock-off this "bias" crap. Every forum is biased, people will be biased.
People, you simply CANNOT get upset and call it "bias" if someone does not agree with your sentiments. If you do, don't post.

Bias/fanboyism would be "oh, its crap", "just a Nissan Fuga", "big Maxima". That is bias.

Pointing out pros and cons of the car is not bias.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

I assume the M35 will look the same.. right.. I wish they would make the exhasust tips a little bigger and in chrome..

marshmallo

I liked the old M45 despite its massive tail lights...

This looks a tad better, BUT I think it has lost some character and
is an effort to blend in.

I also wish they had added more power and made the car more
fuel efficient. It seems like Lexus has gotten more power out of
their V8's without sacrificing fuel efficiency while Infiniti's remain
a bit crude. That's the knock on them and it will be for a while
more I am afraid... Having driven an LS460 and the M45 very
recently I am much more fond of the buttery smooth LS ride

speedflex

I can't tell enough from these pictures just what effect the changes make on the car. I will say that the lower front facia looks better than the current M. But these pictures are not very good to go by.

Styling is subjective and I like the M. I also like the GS. They're different and made by two different car companies, but I like them both. Novel, isn't it? I wouldn't hesitate to own either car except that I rather lean towards the sporty in my driving habits and the GS has an unfortunate smallish back seat for passengers (Besides, if I had a Lexus it would be the IS350 because it is my absolute favorite Lexus of all time, followed closely by the second generation ES300). The M provides the sport and the rear seat room.

Anyway, the term flagship is relative. It applies to whatever car represents or carries the flag for your brand. Right now the M is that car for Infiniti until a range topper shows up, which, logically and judging from rumors, will not be long now.

Ramon

If one is going to complain about the similarities between the G35s and the M45x then one must also complain about the similarities of the ES and LS.

shyguy16

Yeah- i can't tell the IS and GS apart when looking at the headlights; same goes for the LS and ES

LexFather

Really? You mix up 2 headlights for 4??? LEDs for projectors? I will say the ES and LS front does look way more similar than the IS/GS.

Hypnotik

It may not seem like it in pictures, but in person, the front end of the ES does very much resemble the LS. Quite often when i look in my rear view mirror, i think its an LS until i realize its just an ES. IS and ES and camry tailights also look similar. If you really want to be critical, Odyssey tailights remind me of the LS as well.