It wasn’t that long ago that Infiniti’s G-35 two-plus-two sports car was declared just about perfect, so why would Nissan’s luxury division change anything on a combination that is clearly right?
Well, when it comes to automobiles, even perfection can be improved. Call it the Rule of Heraclitus – just as you can never put your foot into the same stream twice, the perfect car must always be changing.
And so for 2008, Infiniti upgrades its marquee coupe to a more powerful 3.7 liters under the hood and a refined exterior look that is sleeker and smoother than before. The 330 horses are a 24 horse boost, courtesy of higher compression, a 500 rpm higher red line and throttle control linked to the valvetrain rather than a butterfly.
The sport suspension package, which came on my tester, is retuned a bit from the G-35 specs, too, and it enhancesan already well-balanced and capable machine’s ability to carve corners with confidence at velocities that will put smiles on any serious driver’s face, so long as you can accept the occasional feeling that your every input isn’t necessarily being heeded by the G-37 if it happens to be equipped with the optional four-wheel active steering system (mine wasn’t).
My tester was also equipped with the five-speed paddle-shift automatic. It’s a great unit for the street, but I suspect on the track it would be less than ideal. In normal driving, though, its ratios are ideally matched to the 3.7 liter V-6’s torque curve. Expect on-command 0-60 mph times of under six seconds.
The G-37’s interior is designed for long-distance running. The optional sport package includes side bolsters on the driver’s seat that do a superb job of keeping the torso in place during hard cornering, but aren’t so firm as to become uncomfortable as the miles and hours go by.
The exterior look is smoother and in some ways more seductive, compared to the rougher-edged G-35. Some of the folks who commented on my tester found it drop-dead gorgeous, while others found it a little less viscerally exciting.
Where the G37 remains especially attractive is on the bottom line of the sticker. Spring for every available option and you’re looking at something far in excess of $40,000. But a well-equipped sport packaged six-speed stick G-37 can be had for several thousand less with a little restraint on the option sheet. Compare that to a Three-Series Bimmer coupe and you will see exactly why the G-37 is likely to be appearing in a lot more driveways in coming months.
Chart:
2008 INFINITI G37 JOURNEY
Price-as-tested: $44,665
Engine information: 3.7 liter DOHC V-6, 330 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, torque equals 270 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm
Performance: 0-60 mph in 5.92 seconds (With five-speed automatic transmission)
EPA fuel economy: 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway
Safety equipment: Driver and front passenger front, side and side curtain air bags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, Vehicle Dynamic Control system, tire pressure monitoring system
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