Unlike its competitors that were designed with the American market in mind and were launched as brand-new models, the M30 was based on a somewhat dated platform that was originally designed for the Japanese market; when the Leopard was imported to the United States, few changes were made to the exterior but the interior was revised to better suit American tastes; a leather interior was standard in the M30, and several features in the Leopard such as a center-mounted television screen and a digital instrument cluster weren't available in the M30 as those features were perceived as gimmicks in western car markets.

The M30's angular design aesthetics and on-road performance were viewed as outdated, especially considering a redesigned Acura Legend coupe was launched in 1991.

Dealerships offered an in-car cellular telephone and in-dash CD player as optional accessories, amongst other items.

Standard equipment on the M30 included a driver's side airbag, anti-lock brakes, an anti-theft security system with an engine immobilizer, Nissan Sonar Suspension II, and leather upholstery.

For the 1991 model year, the cable-type speedometer became electric, instrument cluster typeface changed to match that of the Q45, and fuel and coolant temperature gauges were switched.

A center console-mounted switch allowed drivers to choose between Comfort (soft) and Sport (firm) suspension modes.

In contrast to the Japanese models, which were available only with 6-cylinder engines, the M45 was powered by Nissan's VK45DE V8, producing 340 hp (254 kW) and 333 lb⋅ft (451 N⋅m) of torque, which it shared with the Infiniti's flagship Q45.

All-wheel-drive models, marketed as the M35x and M45x, use a system (ATTESA-ETS) to send all power to the rear wheels until slip is detected.

The automotive press the Y50 Infiniti M several praised the M35 and M45's driving involvement and handling dynamics vs the GS and E-Class while having superior ergonomics to the 5 Series; furthermore the M was equipped and priced competitively against its German rivals,[10][11] while the M35 also received strong reviews.

The M is near or at the top of its class of every interior dimension, actually breaking into the United States Environmental Protection Agency "large" category depending on which option packages are selected.

The Infiniti G37 sedan and coupe, competing in the entry-level luxury sport category, accounted for half of the marque's sales as of 2009.

[17] Furthermore, the 2009 update left M35 and M45 in awkward positions of the Infiniti lineup, as though they were the flagships of the marque, they were out-powered by the VQ37VHR engines fitted in the 2009 G37 coupe and sedan.

The 2011 Infiniti M debuted at the 59th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,[22] and at a media event in Beverly Hills, California in December 2009, to coincide with the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles.

A driving mode selector was included on all models, situated below the transmission gear lever and between the heated and ventilated front seat controls, providing four selections labeled "Standard", "Sport", "Eco", and "Snow", allowing the 7-speed transmission, engine and various systems to optimize driving in varying conditions.

Double-piston shock absorbers, developed by Kayaba Industry Company, have replaced those previously supplied by Hitachi.

If the car sensed movement toward an obstacle, it provided an audible warning and applied opposite side brakes to guide the vehicle to the correct lane.

The electric motor, installed in parallel between the engine and the transmission, produces 68 PS (50 kW; 67 bhp) from 1.3kWh lithium-ion batteries that are expected to have a service life of 10 years.

The main sacrifices are that the luggage compartment space is reduced, the hybrid's rear seats are fixed in place and cannot fold down, and all-wheel drive is not available.

Earlier hybrids such as the Lexus 2007 GS 450h used a CVT for fuel economy at the cost of driving dynamics, while the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 which has an automatic transmission did not feature significantly improved mileage over its gasoline counterpart.

The feat took place at the United Kingdom's Santa Pod Raceway, where CAR magazine journalist Tim Pollard drove the vehicle down the quarter-mile dragstrip in 13.896 seconds.

Another reason for the discontinuation was Nissan's plans to withdraw the Infiniti brand from the Australian, New Zealand, South Korean, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian, and West European markets by the end of 2020, with Nissan already withdrawing the Infiniti brand from the South African market in 2017 due to losses and poor sales.