The Infiniti FX Was The Perfect Performance SUV

The performance SUV. The term itself is almost a conundrum; the Sport Utility Vehicle was created as sort of a new age version of the American station wagon, except it’s a vehicle with a higher driving position that can haul and carry more and most importantly, go off-road. But as the years went on and people bought these things in droves, buyers wanted more and more car-like features in them. Eventually, performance SUVs were born. One of the first to do it properly was the Infiniti FX.

Sure there were performance SUVs that came before the FX, the GMC Typhoon and Mercedes-Benz ML 55 AMG come to mind. But those were SUVs with performance bits on them. The FX was different.

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A year later, a near production-ready concept of the FX45 was shown debuting what Infiniti called “bionic cheetah” styling; a long hood and short rear deck/hatch, huge wheels pushed to the corners, and a large front grille with cat-like headlights wowed the automotive world; it went into production for the 2003 model year. Its underpinnings were surprising but welcome for the segment.

The FX rode on Nissan’s FM (Front-Midship) platform, the same platform that underpinned the Nissan Z and Infiniti G sedan and coupe; the R35 Nissan GT-R uses a modified version of the platform. With the engine sitting far ahead but behind the front axle, it had near 50/50 weight distribution (52 front/48 rear). This was impressive for an SUV. Combine that with an aluminum independent rear suspension shared with the G and Z, a tight and rigid structure, and a relatively light curb weight for what it was (An FX45 tipped the scales at 4,497 pounds) and you got an SUV that drove nothing like an SUV. Engine choices made it even better.

2005 Infiniti FX35

Initially, the FX was available with the 3.5-liter VQ series V6 with 280 hp or the optional 4.5-liter 315 hp V8. The V6 was capable enough. Independent testing showed it was able to hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds before going on to a 137 mph top speed. It was even able to put down 0.80 gs on a skidpad. Did I mention these things had a great exhaust?