View source for Infiniti J30

{{Other uses|J30 (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox automobile
| image = Infiniti J30.jpg
| name = Infiniti J30
| model_code = Y32
| aka = [[Nissan Leopard|Nissan Leopard J Ferie]]
| manufacturer = [[Nissan]]
| class = [[Executive car]] ([[E-segment|E]])
| production = 1992–1997
| model_years = 1993–1997
| body_style = 4-door [[sedan (car)|sedan]]
| engine = 3.0&nbsp;L [[Nissan VG engine#VG30DE|VG30DE]] [[V6]]
| predecessor = [[Infiniti M30]]
| successor = [[Infiniti I30]]
| wheelbase = {{convert|2760|mm|in|1|abbr=on|order=flip}}
| length = {{convert|191.4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|69.7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|54.7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|3580|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}
| layout = [[FR layout]]
| assembly = Japan: [[Kaminokawa, Tochigi]]
| transmission = 4-speed [[Automatic transmission|automatic]]
| designer = Doug Wilson (1989)<ref>{{cite patent |title=Automobile |number=338640S |country=USD |url=https://www.google.com/patents/USD338640 |inventor=Douglas G. Wilson |assign=Nissan Motor Co Ltd |fdate=March 14, 1991 |status=expired |gdate=August 24, 1993}}</ref>
}}
The '''Infiniti J30''', marketed as the '''[[Nissan Leopard]] J Ferie''' in [[Japan]], is an [[executive car]]. The J30 went into production on April 7, 1992 as a 1993 model to replace the [[Infiniti M30|M30]] (which was a [[coupe]]), and was launched in the [[United States]] after its competitors, the [[Lexus GS]] and [[Acura Legend]]. The car was sold in the mid-size [[sedan (car)|sedan]] segment between the smaller [[Infiniti G20|G20]] and the larger [[Infiniti Q45|Q45]], both by size and price. The small interior resulted from its rounded styling uncharacteristic of the crowded [[executive car]] class, which is now considered an early variant of a [[Coupé#Four-door coupé|four-door coupé]].

==Design==
===Exterior styling===
[[File:Nissan Leopard J-Ferie 002.JPG|thumb|left|[[Nissan Leopard]] [[Nissan Leopard#Third generation: Y32 (1992-1996)|J.Ferie (Y32)]], rear]]
The J30 was designed at Nissan Design International (NDI) in [[La Jolla, California]] under the direction of president [[Jerry Hirshberg]] and exterior designer Doug Wilson in 1988-1989. Hirshberg said it was "the first car in what we see as a trend toward breaking away from the long tyranny of the wedge".<ref name=LAT-92/> Design work was frozen in 1989. In a promotional video produced in 1994, it was referred to as a "personal luxury sedan" as attempt to define it as a four-door coupé. The rounded styling resembles the contemporary [[Nissan Altima]]/Bluebird U13, also styled at NDI at approximately the same time..<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/12/rare-rides-a-1996-infiniti-j30-luxury-sedan-with-a-heart-of-300zx-part-ii/ |title=Rare Rides: A 1996 Infiniti J30, Luxury Sedan With a Heart of 300ZX (Part II) |author=Lewis, Corey |date=December 17, 2020 |work=The Truth About Cars |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

Paul Dean, in a review for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', likened the J30 to "a 1961 [[Jaguar Mark X]] that melted", adding the "styling magic ... has softened the bulk of a sedan into the visual delicacy of a coupe".<ref name=LAT-92/> Bob Sikorsky drew a parallel to the 1947 [[Studebaker Champion]] and was positive about his driving impression, calling the J30 "one of the best-engineered cars in the world today ... a paragon of smoothness and silence with a remarkable balance between cornering ability and straight-ahead highway cruising".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/1993-infiniti-j30-provides-superb-comfort-control/article_731c795d-a615-5526-b0f0-6cab5de62b72.html |title=1993 Infiniti J30 provides superb comfort, control |url-access=subscription |author=Sikorsky, Bob |date=August 16, 1992 |newspaper=The Times of Northwest Indiana |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> At the launch event, held at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, Hirshberg presented the design theme as "a bold, calligraphic sketch of a line and an egg" and noted it was an attempt to grant "instant heritage" to the nascent Infiniti brand.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/auto/000630cars.html |title=A Last Chord From Nissan's Rocker-Designer-Pitchman |author=Patton, Phil |date=June 30, 2000 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref> In a retrospective, [[Mickey Kaus]] derided the design as "a pretentious fashion statement" with a "massively round, sagging rear end" that was based "on the bottom of a toilet bowl".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1999/11/who-stole-nissan-s-cojones.html |title=Who Stole Nissan's Cojones? |author=Kaus, Mickey |author-link=Mickey Kaus |date=November 27, 1999 |work=Slate |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

===Interior===
To establish that this was a luxury vehicle, the interior was largely designed with assistance from [[Poltrona Frau]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.poltronafrau.com/portal/page/portal/UI/webpages/poltronafrau/home?lang=en |title=Home Page |website=Poltrona Frau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208222837/http://www.poltronafrau.com/portal/page/portal/UI/webpages/poltronafrau/home?lang=en |archive-date=2011-02-08 }}</ref> of Italy, whom they had previously worked with on the larger [[Infiniti Q45|Q45]]. The J30 was packaged with a long list of standard features including (but not limited to) a leather interior; bronze tinted exterior glass; digital climate control; real burlwood trim surrounding the climate control unit, [[Bose Corporation|Bose]] sound system control module, and front ashtray; a power metal panel sunroof; dual 8-way power heated seats; dual airbags, variable speed sensitive power steering; and three-channel Anti-Lock brakes with ventilated discs front and rear.<ref name=LAT-92/>

The interior treatment continued to use the contrasting arrangement from the larger Q45 with a dark color used for the dashboard, and center console, with a lighter shade color used inside for the seats, interior door panels, headliner, carpet, and carpeted floor mats. The driver's side window controls had an unusual placement in that the drivers window switch was both one-touch express down and double-sized, meaning it was the same width as two conventional window switches towards the top, with the front and rear passenger window switches further down, with the window lockout switch installed next to the front passenger switch, instead of the drivers window switch. The front passenger and rear passenger window switches were thumb activated, installed at the top of the interior door pull handle. Part of the design process included having designers smell interior materials to ensure "it's a total comprehensive experience when you get in this car", according to Hirshberg.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/99885685/ |title=Infiniti hopes to win by a nose |author=Nauman, Matt |date=March 5, 1992 |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

One of the shortcomings of the J30 was its lack of interior room. Despite its exterior [[mid-size car]] dimensions, the interior space was comparable to a [[subcompact car|subcompact]];<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consumerguide.com/used/1993-97-infiniti-j30/ |title=1993-97 Infiniti J30 |website=ConsumerGuide Automotive |date=16 July 2014 |access-date=10 September 2021 |quote=Wheelbase 108.7&nbsp;in {{!}} Length 191.3&nbsp;in {{!}} Front legroom 41.3&nbsp;in {{!}} Rear legroom 30.5&nbsp;in {{!}} Cargo volume 10.1&nbsp;cu.ft}}</ref> in fact, key interior dimensions were smaller than a [[Nissan Sentra]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consumerguide.com/used/1991-94-nissan-sentra/ |title=1991-94 Nissan Sentra |website=ConsumerGuide Automotive |date=23 July 2014 |access-date=10 September 2021 |quote=Wheelbase 95.7&nbsp;in {{!}} Length 170.3&nbsp;in {{!}} Front legroom 41.9&nbsp;in {{!}} Rear legroom 30.9&nbsp;in {{!}} Cargo volume 11.7&nbsp;cu.ft}}</ref> due to its sloping roofline and shrunken trunk.<ref name=LAT-92>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-09-vw-221-story.html |title=A Rebel With Class |author=Dean, Paul |url-access=limited |date=April 9, 1992 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref>

===Mechanical===
Power came from a naturally-aspirated 3.0&nbsp;[[Liter|L]] [[Nissan VG engine#VG30DE|VG30DE]] [[V6]], shared with the contemporary [[Nissan 300ZX#Z32|300ZX (Z32)]], which produced {{convert|210|hp|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|192|lbft|Nm|0|abbr=on}} of [[torque]] as fitted to the J30. Performance was compromised compared to the 300ZX because of the reduced power and increased weight ({{cvt|3527|lb}} for the J30, approximately {{cvt|300|lb}} more than the 300ZX); as-tested in 1992, the car achieved a top speed of {{cvt|128|mph}} and accelerated from 0–{{cvt|60|mph}} in approximately 9&nbsp;seconds.<ref name=LAT-92/> In addition, to achieve smoother shifts, the engine valve timing was retarded slightly.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/174925225/ |title=Infiniti heads for the hills to show off its new J30 |author= |date=April 26, 1992 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref> Fuel consumption was nearly the same as the larger Q45; [[Natural Resources Canada]] rated the J30 at {{cvt|13|/|9.3|L/100km}} City/Highway, compared with corresponding {{cvt|14|/|10|L/100km}} ratings for the Q45.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://autos.ca/articles/cc/93-97_j30.htm |title=Used Vehicle Review: infiniti J30, 1993-1997 |author=Chase, Chris |date=September 21, 2006 |website=Canadian Driver |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> The EPA rated the combined (mixed city and highway driving) fuel consumption of the J30 and Q45 at {{cvt|20|and|19|mpgUS|L/100km|1}}, respectively, for the 1993 model year.<ref>{{Fuel Economy Guide |year=1993}}</ref>

It shares the Y32 Chassis with the [[Nissan Cedric]]/[[Nissan Cima|Cima]]/[[Nissan Gloria|Gloria]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://global.nissannews.com/en/heritage_model_cedric#y321991-1995 |title=Cedric: Y32(1991-1995) |website=Nissan News Global Heritage |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://global.nissannews.com/en/heritage_model_cima#fy321991-19965 |title=Cima: FY32(1991-1996) |website=Nissan News Global Heritage |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://global.nissannews.com/en/heritage_model_gloria#y321991-1995 |title=Gloria: Y32(1991-1995) |website=Nissan News Global Heritage |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref> The chassis used a [[MacPherson strut]] front suspension with a [[multi-link suspension]] for the rear wheels, equipped with a viscous [[limited-slip differential]] and an [[anti-lock braking system]] with ventilated disc brakes front and rear.<ref name=ADS-94>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/169159878/ |title=Behind the Wheel: The 1995 Infiniti J30 |date=December 10, 1994 |newspaper=Arizona Daily Star |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref><ref name=JPY32/> The J30 was [[Badge engineering|rebadged]] and marketed in Japan as the [[Nissan Leopard|Leopard J. Ferie]] (for ''jour ferie'', meaning 'holiday' in French), where it was offered with both the [[Nissan VG engine|VG30DE]] (as the Type L) and [[Nissan VH engine|VH41DE]] [[V8 engine|V8]] (Type X).<ref name=JPY32>{{cite web |url=https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/HERITAGE/393_leopard_j-ferie.html |title=Leopard J.Ferie / Infiniti J30 (1993: JPY32) |website=Nissan Heritage Collection |publisher=Nissan Global |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://global.nissannews.com/en/heritage_model_leopard#jy32-j-ferie1992-1995 |title=JY32 J. Ferie(1992-1995) |website=Nissan News Global Heritage |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref> With either engine, the Y32 was exclusively fitted with a four-speed automatic transmission.<ref name=UPI-92/>

===Touring model===
[[File:Infiniti J30 RL.png|thumb|Rear view of the Infiniti J30t (Touring), distinguished by the rear spoiler and upgraded wheels.]]
[[Infiniti]] also produced a touring model, the J30t. This model featured a rear [[spoiler (automotive)|spoiler]], firmer suspension, [[BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik|BBS]]-style alloy wheels, and Super [[HICAS]]; Nissan's four wheel steering technology. Super HICAS was only available in 1993 and 1994 J30t models.<ref name=LAT-92/><ref name=UPI-92/> For 1993 and 1994, Nissan offered a very limited number of "gold package" J30t's. These cars had gold plated badging, front grille, antenna and door handles; gold Infiniti logo BBS wheels, upgraded wood interior, and upgraded heated front leather seats with embossed logos. Starting with the 1995 model year, Infiniti "decontented" J30t models due to parent Nissan's financial issues. They weren't as luxurious as earlier models. The "t" model essentially became a base J30 with a spoiler.

==History==
In the United States, Infiniti unveiled the J30 in Chicago on February 5, 1992.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/02/05/Infiniti-introduces-J30/5240697266000/ |title=Infiniti introduces J30 |author=Lesar, Jack |date=February 5, 1992 |work=UPI Archives |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref> By early March, prices were set at $30,000 and $34,700 for the 1993 model year J30 and J30t, respectively; there were no available options and the first cars were scheduled to be in dealer showrooms by the end of the month.<ref name=UPI-92>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/05/Infiniti-introduces-new-luxury-sedan/3797699771600/ |title=Infiniti introduces new luxury sedan |date=March 5, 1992 |work=UPI Archives |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref> The car launched at $33,000 for the base and $34,700 for the touring models; by 1995, the base model had risen to $39,000, and the J30t was $2,000 more.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.deseret.com/1995/2/24/19161040/pricey-infiniti-j30-is-truly-a-jewel |title=Pricey Infiniti J30 is truly a jewel |date=February 24, 1995 |newspaper=Deseret News |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>

The J30 remained nearly unchanged through its production period.  Heated seats became standard equipment in the 1994 model year.  For 1995, the J30 received subtle vertical ribbing in the tail light lenses, an automatically-dimming rear view mirror, and a power lumbar support control for the driver's seat;<ref name=ADS-94/> in '96 the diagnostic system was upgraded to [[OBD-II]].  Otherwise, the J30 received only minor alterations between 1993 and 1997 model years.

All J30s were built in [[Tochigi, Tochigi]], [[Japan]]. Over its lifetime, approximately 70,000 were sold in the United States (more than 20,000 per year for 1993 and 1994; 17,899 in 1995; 7,564 in 1996; and 4,594 in 1997)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1997-infiniti-j30-jellybean-jealousy/ |title=Curbside Classic: 1997 Infiniti J30 – Jellybean Jealousy |author=Saur, Brendan |date=March 27, 2021 |website=Curbside Classic |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> and less than 8,000 were sold in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1997-nissan-leopard-jy33-xv-screwing-the-cat/ |title=Curbside Classic: 1997 Nissan Leopard (JY33) XV – Screwing The Cat |author=Tatra87 |date=May 10, 2021 |website=Curbside Classic |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> Production of the J30 ended on June 18, 1997, replaced by the [[Infiniti I30]] (introduced in 1996).

==Marketing==
Unlike earlier Infinitis, the J30 received effective advertisement with [[jazz]] music and artistic camera shots. The J30 was launched with an [[ad campaign]] featuring [[Welsh people|Welsh]] actor [[Jonathan Pryce]] as the spokesman.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/12/rare-rides-a-1996-infiniti-j30-luxury-sedan-with-a-heart-of-300zx-part-i/ |title=Rare Rides: A 1996 Infiniti J30, Luxury Sedan With a Heart of 300ZX (Part I) |author=Lewis, Corey |date=December 16, 2020 |work=The Truth About Cars |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref> [[Infiniti]]'s chief competitors in the Japanese-American luxury car market, [[Acura]] and [[Lexus]], used a similar technique in their commercials, which have also featured celebrity [[voice-over]]s, done by [[James Sloyan]] (Lexus) and [[James Spader]] (Acura).

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.motortrend.com/buyersguide/preowned/112_0301_1993_1997_infiniti_j30/ Infiniti J30 - Motor Trend]

{{Infiniti vehicles}}
{{Infiniti}}

[[Category:Infiniti vehicles|J30]]
[[Category:Executive cars]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1992]]