Nissan Gloria XI (Y34) photos

Introduced in June 1999, the eleventh-generation Nissan Gloria (chassis code Y34) marked the final chapter in the long-running nameplate's history, continuing its tradition as the sportier twin to the Nissan Cedric on a shared rear-wheel-drive platform. Compared to the outgoing Y33 series, the Y34 featured a bold, sculptural exterior design, a significantly stiffer body structure, and refined multi-link suspension geometry, with the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system available on select variants. The body retained the distinctive four-door pillarless hardtop configuration with frameless side windows, offering a sleek silhouette and a luxuriously appointed cabin equipped with advanced navigation and driver-assistance features for its era. Under the hood, power came primarily from Nissan's VQ-series V6 engines, including direct-injection naturally aspirated VQ25DD and VQ30DD units as well as the potent turbocharged VQ30DET, while all-wheel-drive versions utilized the RB25DET inline-six turbo engine. In the transmission department, alongside conventional four- and five-speed automatic gearboxes, the Y34 gained fame as one of the pioneering production cars to offer the Extroid toroidal continuously variable transmission (CVT) capable of handling high torque outputs. A mid-cycle refresh updated the front grille, lighting elements, and interior trim materials. Sold primarily in the Japanese domestic market, while a related left-hand-drive counterpart was marketed in North America as the Infiniti M45, the Gloria Y34 ceased production in late 2004 and was succeeded by the Nissan Fuga.