zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $1,500, To Infiniti and Beyond!
For $1,500, To Infiniti and Beyond!-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:15

While it's here at , that doesn't mean we'd kick crazy aunt Infiniti to the curb, so today we're going to give her a spin, and see if she'll drop her top for us.

Yesterday's was sadly obscured by the miasma of Crack Pipe smoke. A full 61% said that the car's twenty grand price would have been more palatable had it been an R32, or RB26-powered GT-R, an opinion reinforced by the freakishly large number of posts by Canucks in which it was noted that Canadian-registered Skylines are as plentiful as moose turds, and about as noteworthy.

Nice Price or Crack Pipe is all about the Nissans this week, and to get us over the hump, we're…

That was one big Nissan coupe that never officially made the boat ride to America, being required instead, Cinderella-like, to sit out the ball. Today's Leopard-based Infiniti M30, while not exactly an ugly stepsister, did get invited to the party, where its toplessness was intended to overcome its penchant for slow dances.

As Lexus is to Toyota, so is Infiniti to Nissan, and much like its cross-town rival, a lot of the initial product offerings were actually rebadged luxo-versions of the lesser brands products. In the case of Infinti, that meant the home market Leopard was pressed into service as a low-line soldier in the luxury car wars. Introduced here at the dawn of the ‘90s, the M30's angular shape both inside and out was firmly routed in the new wavity of the ‘80s.

That being said, it wasn't a homely car, and its clean, uncluttered lines fit the upscale slot in the Nissan/Infiniti hierarchy. Available in both coupe and, as offered here, convertible form, the M30 shared its rear-wheel drive platform with the Skyline R31, an enviable pedigree. Only one drivetrain was offered- the 162-bhp VG30E V6, backed up by the Jatco 4R01 4-speed automatic gearbox (half of you just stopped reading and immediately clicked Crack Pipe) that sent power back to an independently sprung rear axle. At better than 3,576-lbs, the power sent there had its work cut out for it, but the ASC-decapitated convertible sacrificed bantam weight for infinite headroom.

This looks pretty clean, and its ebony paint is appropriately formal. Recent repairs, including a cat-back new exhaust, brakes, struts and wheels//tires bring the car out of a claimed coma. How long it was out of commission the seller doesn't say, but does claim it has passed inspection and is road-ready. The top appears intact, a plus as it's huge and replacement would probably cost more than the car, unless you are some sort of duct tape ninja master. Inside, everything's squarer than the narrator of your 7th grade sex ed movie, although it's got all the bells and whistles that you could have wanted back in the ‘90s. Underneath, it also has a special whistle that only dogs can hear, or maybe bats. The M30 has Nissan Sonar suspension II, a whiz-bang technology that can alter the shock valving based on the signal from a bumper-mounted sonar transceiver. Run silent, run deep, indeed, and this one is claimed to have run for just under 100K.

There's a switch inside that lets you alter the suspension's setting between sport and comfort, and admittedly most drivers of these would rather have had it say comfort and more comfort, but that's not to say there isn't value in a solid cruiser with both a top that goes down and room to spread out. And this particular one comes in at a bargain-bin price of $1,500, but you'd have to act fast because at the first sign of snow, it goes back into hibernation.

In the 1999 movie, , Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg spend the first reel arguing over whether or not Lexus makes a convertible – remember this was pre-SC. Upon reaching Saddam's secret stash, they come across a convertible M30, and Cube points it out to Marky Mark as proof that what he thought was a Lexus was really an Infiniti. Of course, by then they've got more pressing issues with which to deal- plus Clooney.

Your deal, is to determine if this Infiniti (not a Lexus) convertible is worth $1,500. Does that price make this M30 fit for three kings? Or, is that two kings too many?

You decide!

or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
The 2019 Audi E-Tron Makes a Strong Case for Choosing Charge Speed Over Range
The 2019 Audi E-Tron Makes a Strong Case for Choosing Charge Speed Over Range
It’s 2019 and the electric luxury car scene is finally starting to grow and diversify. The —Audi’s first fully electric mass-production vehicle—is the latest competitor to step in, offering the German automaker’s take on a plush and practical EV. Audi’s first effort here is solid, especially when it comes...
Aug 27, 2026
Why Ostensibly Boring Cars Like This $2,700 Ford LTD Are the Ultimate Bargains
Why Ostensibly Boring Cars Like This $2,700 Ford LTD Are the Ultimate Bargains
I’ve been surfing Craigslist pretty much nonstop over the past decade, and in that time, there’s been one group of vehicles that has tempted me more than any other: “boring cars” in beautiful condition. Vehicles like the spotless, affordable you see above. I don’t know what to think about...
Aug 27, 2026
At $14,750, Could This 1993 40th Anniversary Year Chevy Corvette be Your Party Favor?
At $14,750, Could This 1993 40th Anniversary Year Chevy Corvette be Your Party Favor?
The seller of today’s 40th anniversary year ‘Vette says that pictures just don’t do it justice. Let’s see if that missing justice can be found in its asking price. The general definition of a ‘Muscle Car’ is a small, two-door, rear-wheel drive body shell into which has been wedged...
Aug 27, 2026
The 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Doubles Down on Absurdity but It’s Fun and Fast
The 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Doubles Down on Absurdity but It’s Fun and Fast
The takes one of the sportiest crossovers on the market and gives it a slight redesign that better reflects the speed its 541 horsepower twin-turbo V8 delivers. It’s also more expensive than a normal Cayenne, because something isn’t stylish if you aren’t paying more for it. ( Porsche flew...
Aug 27, 2026
At $8,500, Is This LT1-Powered 1993 Chevy S10 a Pickup With Pick Up That You Might Pick Up?
At $8,500, Is This LT1-Powered 1993 Chevy S10 a Pickup With Pick Up That You Might Pick Up?
Small pickups like today’s S10 aren’t crowding new car dealer lots like they once did. This one comes with Corvette power so it might draw a crowd on its own accord. That is, if its price doesn’t scare them away. We all greeted yesterday’s like it was a long,...
Aug 27, 2026
Drive Your Cars You Cowards
Drive Your Cars You Cowards
Here at Jalopnik, we try not to be redundant in the subject matter of our blogs. Redundancy would be boring for us, boring for you, and would eventually rid us of our prized spot on your bookmark bar. But if there’s anything that needs to be said , and...
Aug 27, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved