Infiniti’s I30/I35 actually represents a single model in the Infiniti line-up with the 1999 release marking the beginning of the second generation of this popular mid-size luxury car.
More importantly, the Japanese manufacturer decided to rename the car from I30 to I35 in order to underline one of the most important changes of the new model, namely the engine upgrade which now featured a displacement of 3500 cmc. However, the revised Infiniti also came with restyled interior plus larger brakes, while the manual transmission was no longer available among the optional equipment.

Nissan started to grow its premium brand in the U.S. and rebadged its best-built vehicles from Japan as Infiniti, such as the i30, which was a Nissan Cefiro.

The Cefiro was based on the same platform as the Nissan Maxima, which was, in turn, a trendy choice for the mid-size segment customers. Moreover, since the Maxima was already on sale in the U.S., there were no problems with the spare parts. But the Infiniti i30 was more of a contender for the Lexus ES300 than for the American brands since it stood on a front-wheel-drive platform, and most of the Big-three premium vehicles were rear-wheel-drive.

On the outside, the I30 looked very similar to the Maxima, but it featured a different front fascia. Its leaves-looking grille and the wider air-intake in the lower bumper area imposed a premium feel. The long lines over the bodywork and the flat trunk set the image of a sporty mid-size sedan, light and agile. Its overall appearance was inspired by the Q45 sedan, including the taillights and the small wing on the trunk.

Inside, Infiniti offered standard leather seats, wood-trims, a two-way adjustable steering column, and a CD-stereo player. Power windows were also part of the standard package. The instrument cluster was similar to the one found in the Maxima, and it was very easy to read and understand the dials.

Under the hood, Infiniti put its badge on Maxima’s 3.0-liter V6 engine, and the carmaker didn’t even bother to give more hp to it. Unlike the Lexus, Infiniti offered its mid-size sedan with a manual gearbox while an automatic gearbox was on the options list.