Introduction

Infiniti M -- 2006 First Drive: Back in school, teachers used to say that trying was better than doing nothing, even if your effort was wrong, incomplete, or flat-out off the mark. And for multiple choice exams, the common advice was to make sure to drop some of that Number 2 lead for every question, because good ol' luck was always a possibility. As a student, that latter mentality often resulted in a failing grade. As an adult, that latter mentality lead to the previous Infiniti M45.

Folks at Infiniti admit that they were in a rush to fill a gap in the market, so they basically rebadged a car sitting in Japanese stables, the Nissan Gloria/Cedric, bolted in a 4.5-liter V8 and called it the Infiniti M45. While the powertrain was praiseworthy, the home-market styling was uninspiring.

That has mostly changed with the redesigned 2006 Infiniti M. While the previous model languished on dealers' lots, the minds at Infiniti were at work on a new platform that accommodated more engines and drivetrains, a larger interior, and a distinguished exterior that certainly turns heads.

In the 2006 Infiniti M consumers will discover the culmination of a study in design and engineering, not the product of good luck and wishful thinking.