CAR GAZING
G37 a step up
Infiniti makes a world-class sports coupe to replace G35
By Derek Price
OK, Infiniti. This is overkill.
The G35 Coupe was probably the best car in its class last year, but Infiniti still decided to stop selling it to make room for an entirely new sports coupe called the G37.
And, amazingly, it's even better than its predecessor.
While the G35 was pretty much perfect – it had everything you could want in a sports coupe, from its LeBron James performance to its Jessica Alba body – the G37 takes everything up a notch. It's gone from sexy to sizzling, from fast to ridiculous.
It was a risky move for Infiniti because the G37 isn't just an updated version of the G35 with massaged sheetmetal and a tweaked interior. No, it's actually an entirely different car that's no longer based on the Nissan 350Z sports car like the G35 was.
That may sound like a letdown at first, until you realize the new Infiniti is based on a Japanese super coupe called the Nissan Skyline, a car Playstation fans have drooled over for years.
Until you drive it, it's hard to imagine how great this car performs. It feels immensely solid, like you're driving a petrified log, but at the same time it's light and nimble enough to tiptoe through corners like a ballerina.
It's also got a honey of an engine.
Engineers started with the G35's V6 powerplant – which was already considered one of the world's best – and made a couple of major changes. One, they increased the displacement from 3.5 liters to 3.7. And two, they added something called Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL), a complicated system that constantly adjusts the valve lift and timing to create more power and better response. It also helps with emissions and fuel efficiency.
I love this engine. It makes 330 horsepower, gets 24 miles per gallon on the highway and sounds symphonic under acceleration.
Another nice aspect of this car is its split personality. It feels perfectly comfortable being thrashed with tires squealing through the corners, but it seems just as comfortable driving with the grace of a luxury car. It's smooth. It's quiet. It has poise.
But that's not to say it's perfect.
For one thing, I suspect the CIA will be deploying a few of these cars to their secret prisons for terrorists. Al Qaida operatives would be willing to share all their secrets after spending a few hours buckled into the G37's cramped back seat.
It's also quite expensive, starting at $34,250 and reaching well into the $40,000 range when you add high-end options like a navigation system and Bose "studio on wheels" stereo.
At the same time, I can't think of any other cars that offer the same combination of performance, style and luxury in this price range.
It's overkill, and that's a good thing.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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