"BMW stands for performance, the 'ultimate driving machine,'" Fessenden says. "Lexus owns quality and reliability and underscores that with their tag line, 'the passionate pursuit of perfection.' Mercedes stood for the pinnacle of engineering. So with design, we're at a very honest place for us to live."
An Infiniti tag line now calls the company "Brave. By design." Its signature vehicle is the FX, an aggressively defined SUV. Infiniti also has moved bold design inside, with departures such as the curved instrument panel in the new M sedan.
Nissan North America Inc. used radical vehicle designs to rescue Nissan Division a few years ago, when it risked losing its foothold in the U.S. market. The company then organized meetings between Infiniti's chief designer, who worked in Japan, and the brand's U.S. marketing staff and advertising agencies.
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