What Inspires Our Most Beautiful Cars

5 MIN READ

It’s not easy to turn a vision into reality. When we set out to launch a new kind of luxury automotive brand in 1985, that was the challenge at hand. But after a few solid years of relentless design thinking, that challenge was certainly met. By 1989, our new brand was ready for the spotlight. We called it INFINITI, with a badge depicting the infinite road ahead. It symbolized our ceaseless pursuit of human potential. That’s what drove us then, and it still drives us today.
 

Think about it. As humans, we're always advancing, evolving, looking to live our best lives. Elegant design has the power to enable us – and inspire us – as we chase our ambitions. It's a profound thought, and it underpins every car we create. In fact, our entire design philosophy comes down to two words: powerful elegance. And since day one, it’s shaped our signature style. Here’s a closer look at the facets of INFINITI design.

There’s no question, we design our cars to be powerful. But not without artistry. They're bold yet nuanced, emotional yet technical. And the way these dualistic elements mesh seamlessly makes powerful elegance resonate. Because life has no shortage of contrasting themes. There are different modes, different speeds. And our design is intended to accommodate them all.

Our design philosophy is also influenced by our Japanese heritage. The minimalism of Japanese design informs how we blend contrasting elements. It’s all done in a simple, purposeful way.
 

Since we launched our first car in 1989 – the Q45 – we’ve married luxury with everyday purpose. This early sedan did away with the stuffy woodgrain accents high-end cars were known for. In their place, you had plush padded surfaces. With your sense of touch in mind, they added extra comfort. And they sported a streamlined, modern look too.
 

Years later, our iconic FX series married the same sense of purpose with vivid styling. As the world’s first SUV coupe, it offered luxury and practicality in one package. But with thoughtful design and zero superfluous details, these worlds meshed seamlessly.

Powerful elegance doesn’t stop at appearance. It extends to the way our cars perform. There's no question that striking lines make every INFINITI a bit of a statement. But their styling is the product of advanced vehicle architecture.
 

Each contour contributes to aerodynamics. And our vehicles’ proportions factor in too. They house some pretty serious engineering and tech. But you would never know it, because we work to make it all flow together like one continuous line.

Beyond each bold exterior, there’s a world of luxury inside our vehicles. But this isn’t luxury for its own sake. Made to serve you and your guests, our cabins accommodate different needs in a refined way. We call this being driver-centric yet passenger-minded. And it allows for some bold yet nuanced interior details.

For instance, we curate chic materials, but they have to withstand the everyday. We ensure the controls have smart ergonomics, but they have to be nice to touch. And we lay things out in a way that lets everyone interact, while feeling cocooned from the outside world. It's a warm, welcoming experience that's also calculated and confident. That's powerful elegance in action.

Whether it’s architecture, poetry or music, a masterpiece makes you feel more than one way. With signature style that taps into a range of emotions, our vehicles do too. For instance, our cars all sport an iconic double-arch grille. Its diamond pattern is sharp and precise. But the fluid chrome accents add a touch of humanity. There’s a nice tension and release here, which evokes a marriage of control and intuition.
 

Our eye-inspired headlights dial up the look. To emulate the human eyelid, we placed a lighting strip across a third of the projector. It’s alluring but also intense. The same goes for the INFINITI silhouette, which sports a crescent-cut C-Pillar. This detail represents the first and last phases of the moon, when only a sliver is visible. Like the other characteristic features, it suggests a harmonious relationship between two extremes. Besides, the contrast feels pretty dynamic, and driving is all about dynamism.

Since the days of the Q45, our style has evolved with our technology. And powerful elegance has informed it the whole time. If you look at our current lineup, the QX80 is a great example. With a mix of sharp geometric forms and soft organic shapes, it’s luxury with two clear sides.

And yet, as the industry shifts to electrification, there's even more we can do with our designs. The reason is simple, we no longer have to work around mechanical parts. That means we can take powerful elegance in bold new directions.
 

For proof, consider the QX Inspiration Concept. It offers thrilling performance, but it's whisper-quiet. And with no traditional gearbox, there's room for a huge, unconventional cabin. Inside, it leans into the Japanese concept of 'Ma', or the mastery of empty space. Outside, it conjures images of origami, with elegant minimalism in each detail. Ultimately, it all feeds into a powerful new expression of luxury.