If any engine configuration’s the powertrain kingdom’s rack of ribs, it’s the cross-plane-crank naturally aspirated V8. Brawny, muscular, and not necessarily highbrow, it’s the sort of engine designed to fuel the soul. However, when you want to pair one with a body of sophistication, something often gets lost in translation. Sometimes its feeling, like with the almost-too-smooth Lexus four-liter V8. Sometimes it’s reliability, like the raucous-sounding Audi chain-driven 4.2-liter V8. But rarely, cars exist that just sort of tick all the boxes. Cars like the Infiniti M56.
Flash back to 2011, and the midsize luxury sedan arms race was really heating up. We’re talking big displacement, big gadgets, big footprints, big power. Mercedes-Benz had the 5.5-liter E 550, BMW had the twin-turbocharged V8 550i, and Audi was readying a twin-turbocharged V8 of its own.
To keep pace with the titans of the segment, Infiniti had a plan for its third-generation M sedan: The option of its biggest engine yet, a 5.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 cranking out 420 horsepower. Even in a two-ton sedan, that’s some serious shove. Hitched to a seven-speed automatic transmission, it was enough to hurl this big four-door to 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds during Car And Driver instrumented testing. That’s quick by any standard, and enough to raise eyebrows from Detroit to Munich.
However, the M56 wasn’t just a one-trick pony. Its optional sport package was more than just cosmetic lip service, adding in-phase rear-wheel-steering, retuned suspension, four-piston front calipers, giant magnesium paddle shifters, and 20-inch wheels wrapped in proper summer tires. What’s more, it didn’t ruin the ride quality. As Car And Driver wrote:
The 20-inchers roll over pavement breaks with an audible slap of rubber, and the ride is still crisp, but it is no longer jarring. We’re witnessing an evolutionary step here, toward the secret ride-and-handling balance that BMW has long profited from.
So far, so promising, and that’s before you get into the sheer amenities on offer. While Bose isn’t the highest-end name in sound systems, the 16-speaker setup available in the M made the optional premium system in a contemporary Mercedes-Benz E-Class seem a bit feeble. Heated and ventilated front seats kept your keister suitably comfortable, and an available rear sun blind could block out the haters. Then there’s the way the M56 was one of the first cars to cannonball into the ADAS pool. Sure, other cars had previously offered adaptive cruise control, but the M could be had with automatic emergency braking, lane departure prevention, and blind-spot collision avoidance. Heady stuff for 2011. However, that’s nothing compared to some of the material choices.
Sure, you could drive off the lot in a basic Infiniti M, but if you were really willing to splash the cash, you could get semi-aniline leather, and quilting just about everywhere. The seats, the door cards, stitched materials on the sides of the console and the hood of the gauge cluster. Add in a dash of real wood and sprinkle of real aluminum, and it was enough to make a Lexus GS feel, well, cheap by comparison. Mind you, the M56 didn’t just have Lexus in its gunsights. As Automobile magazine wrote, it was a serious rival to the BMW 5 Series.
I haven’t spent enough time with either car to make a final determination, but my initial impressions of the Infiniti M and the BMW 5-Series — both of which are revamped for this year — tell me that the Infiniti might be better.
So, if the M56 went like stink, handled with sophistication, was gorgeously appointed, and something of a technological marvel, why isn’t it talked about much today? Well, not only was the M a relatively low-volume car, the entry-level 330-horsepower M37 offered about as much grunt as anyone really needed. Then there was the biblically awful example Car And Driver took on long-term test. As the magazine wrote:
Over the course of almost 16 months and 41,693 miles, the suite of advanced electronics (adaptive cruise, lane-departure warning and prevention, blind-spot warning and intervention, collision warning, brake assist, adaptive headlights, “eco” mode) bundled into the $3000 Technology package had more hiccups than a champagne aficionado on New Year’s Eve.
It was certainly an unusual experience, as time has shown such issues to not be the norm on these cars. However, arguably the biggest reason nobody talks about the M56 is because Infiniti threw away every ounce of model equity it had. Under serial-renamer Johan de Nysschen, all Infinitis would adopt Q names. After just three model years, the M56 was renamed the Q70 5.6. No wonder it’s been largely forgotten.
Mind you, it’s not a complete loss, because there’s one big way in which the M56 beat its German rivals. While it was a rare beast, its V8 engine was also installed in the QX80 full-size SUV, after which it spread to the Nissan Titan truck, NV van, and Armada SUV. So far, it’s been pretty solid aside from occasional variable valve timing solenoid issues, and the seven-speed automatic transmission enjoys a similarly stout reputation. Put simply, the M56 isn’t a bad used car buy if you want a midsize V8 luxury sedan but don’t have the pain tolerance for German car maintenance.
At the same time, used examples of the M56 are reasonably priced. Here’s a 2011 model with the sport package and top-shelf audio system, up for sale in Georgia. It’s done only about 98,000 miles, and although it does have a pair of damage entries on its history report, it’s also a Southern car so it’s not a rotbox. The asking price? A reasonable $13,995.
Similarly, this 2012 M56S is up for sale in Texas for $13,995. Its odometer may read a tad higher at just over 105,000 miles, and it might not have the rare aero kit, but it comes with a clean history report and gleaming pearl white paint. It might be nearly 15 years old and have some wear on its armrest, but this is still so much car for the money.
So, if you’ve always wanted a big, V8 sports sedan but don’t want aging European luxury car problems, why not look at a secondhand Infiniti M56? It’s quick, it’s agile, it’s sumptuous, it’s pretty much the whole package.
Top graphic image: Infiniti
I was going to recommend this to Mercedes for Sheryl’s next car, but there were already over 200 comments, so I didn’t bother. But this would definitely provide her with a suitable degree of style and cachet for a lawyer and would be exceptionally comfortable for her 20K+ miles of driving each year. Gas mileage would be the main drawback, which is simply mitigated by opting for the M37 instead.
Everything but the styling for me. Infinity hit max Jellybean styling by this time, effectively ruining for me the M45, G37(even the coupe), and the QX56. The 5.6 Engine sounded and ran great in the trucks, so I am sure it would be better in a lighter jellybean, but the styling never worked for me.
It’s fine, I guess. I cross shopped these a couple years ago (mainly against the E550, GS, and Genesis v8….didn’t want to deal with the BMW N63 or Audi issues). These are fast, but really boring despite being somewhat overstyled inside and out.
Ended up in an E550 and would probably land there again. One of Merc’s best motors (M273), insanely comfortable and well-built from one of their best styling eras. All the bells and whistles mentioned in the article and I paid $10k in covid for it.
Infiniti’s design language of this era can only be described as a Nissan that’s had a bad shellfish allergy
The M56 is not something I’ve slept on. I love a big Infiniti and I’d happily own another. I owned one of the final “real” Q’s. A 2002 Q45 with a fantastic 340HP V8 that could hit passing speeds quite rapidly. A La-Z-Boy on wheels. A Q was the flagship. We knew this. The G was the sporty car and the M was kind in-between.
Naming everything Q afterwards was a big mistake. Whatever brand equity had been built up, it lost all meaning.
I feel like Infiniti was grasping like Mercedes AMG everything and GM’s SS everything mantra.
It looks like an Altima.
Bring back the Yakuza staff car!
I would love to see this as a ringer in the next Altima 100 race.
I need a commuter car and I had been toying with a Volvo S60 because nobody wants a sedan anymore and they’re a pretty solid value at this point.
Of course, now I’m looking at these, but as noted, the M37 is way more popular and for commuting, there’s probably no point in getting a v8. The v6 gets pretty rotten mileage as it stands (20/24). I don’t need to burn more gas slogging through traffic to an office I don’t want to be in anyway.
I love the OG M45 that was the precursor to this. It’s the neo Oldsmobile, with sporting pretenses, but comforting luxury with a snug cabin like a Jaguar.
This was actually supposed to be my first car. A black 2011 M56x. My dad had a small dealership and found one for a great price at auction. Yeah I was spoiled I admit it. Only issue was that the thing had really bad headroom for it being so “tall”. I was 6’6” and finding a car that was comfortable was hard. I’d need to sit in one again, but that’s all I remember. I loved that car so much too. The wood in it was gorgeous and you could get a chocolate leather interior. I remember the smell of it too and ugh. I might need to see if I can squeeze into one again.
I wound up getting a, in my 16yo mind better (what was I thinking), 5500 dollar Lincoln MKT. 2 accidents, and some problems but it was glorious. It had amazing room, a killer sound system, the 3.5 eco boom and was a great road tripper. If anyone remembers the other sites “Meh Car Mondays” articles, it was me who suggested them do the MKT. I ripped on it hard and the writer played into that. Hindsight though, I loved it and would recommend one to anyone who can get past the looks.
I used to really like these until a friend picked up an M56 back when they were new, fortunately leased. The feedback I heard from him was it did everything well but nothing great, except the infotainment which did nothing good and everything terribly. I recall it was also quite unreliable, with all kinds of electrical issues, so he was glad to return it at the end of the lease. It sounded distinctly less-than-the-sum-of-all-parts, which I suspect contributed to it failing to sell.
Maybe if it had a good exterior design, it could have been more successful. But here we are, where even though part of my brain wants the cheap(ish) V8 sedan thrills, the other part just doesn’t care at all as it’s just so blah.
Good call these are a great bargain. Opened up they sound wonderful and lay rubber.
My personal favorite is still the 2003-2004 M45. About a second slower but the stability control can be disabled for full on smoky donuts and fishtailing fun.
That’s one that many forgot about or never knew of in the 1st place.
Too swollen, too tall, too automatic.
What’s the typical buyer of a hotted up V8 Infiniti sedan look like? Probably like that G35/37 bro you know when he’s looking to upgrade. The G came in manual. This didnt.
I don’t know how many of you guys remember what the old German lighting site was like back when these were fresh, but “no manual no care” was posted in reply to detailed reviews so much that I think the writers tired of it. I think it’s right around the time the 2-tier system started banishing people to the greys.
It’s also ugly. Overtall and puffy and misproportioned. It may have been an excellent luxo sports sedan, but it raises eyebrows that an S6 and 550i didn’t.
“the biggest reason nobody talks about the M56 is because Infiniti threw away every ounce of model equity it had. Under serial-renamer Johan de Nysschen, all Infinitis would adopt Q names”
Yeah, that’s not it. No one remembers this car because no one bought it. No one was buying it long before the Q name change. And no one bought it because it wasn’t German. Whatever the reason, it didn’t have the cachet. Same reason the Lexus GS is gone.
I actually quite like it. Not as much as I like the second gen, but it’s still a nice long hood/short trunk V8 sedan.
That said, you’re definitely right. I’ve always suspected that Infiniti started losing their customers early…and in the case of the M, that second gen I like so much today was too much of an anomaly to compete against the Germans. Infiniti never got those buyers back with the 3rd gen. They seemed to come out swinging in each of the vehicles they started with, then had no idea who their buyers were with the follow up. The M, G, Q, FX all started good, then… meh.
Infiniti’s styling from that era reminds me far too much of Erwin Wurm’s “fat car” artworks.
Shouldn’t this be an installment of the “Holy Grail” series?
Auto only, so no.
But does it come with the ever reliable, ever smooth ever quick, ever sumptuous Jatco Xtronic CVT?
No? It’s only got a Jatco RE7R01A 7-speed automatic?
So that’s a solid pass for me dawg!
I wanna hear that V8 pegged directly at its 6,000 rpm horsepower peak, never deviating, hollering at fixed-rev glory all the way down the quarter mile!
Only then can it truly live.
The first gen M would be my preference, even though it means getting the smaller 4.5L V8; thats just a great looking car.
Long forgotten and underappreciated by 90% of the public. To be fair, they made the right move because the OG Yakuzamobile was just too little cabin for too much car.
Still the best looking car of anything Nissan/Infiniti has made in the past 30 years.
The J30 will always have a soft spot in my heart but 2003-2004 M45 is a close second.
The 2006-2010 M45 was 95% perfect except for those hideous taillights and their sport package led to a rough ride compared to the germans of the same time period.
First! Don’t see that as often as the second. If the second gen was a little more common, I probably would have bought one by now… very cool car.