Warren Henry Infiniti

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Driving Impressions

Sporty handling and a strong, willing engine make the Infiniti G37 models exhilarating to drive. Based on the Nissan 370Z, the G37 has a performance edge, a rawness, that sets it apart.

Where the G has come up short is in the smoothness, finish and refinement of a luxury car. To Infiniti's credit, it has incrementally but steadily addressed the problem, to the point where the G37 line stands on better footing with the smoothest, most refined cars in its class.

This improved balance between edginess and refinement is demonstrated by the G37 Convertible. The Sport 6MT Convertible we drove came very close to the driving sensations one experiences in a pure sports car. The Sport steering is quicker than that in the standard G37s, meaning the car turns more for a given movement of the steering wheel, and the crisp manual shifter has fairly short throws. When the road ahead opens up and starts twisting, the Sport 6MT is a blast to drive.

Compared with the coupe, there is a bit more shake in the convertible. There is always more shake when engineers remove the top from a fixed roof car; think of it like snipping a big hole in the side on an aluminum can. The driver feels an extra bit of vibration through the transmission and up into the shift lever, or an occasional wave of slight flexing through the steering column. Still, the G37 Convertible remains a very tight ship when the top is lowered, tighter than many competitors. When it's closed, the three-piece metal roof is essentially as snug and quiet as a fixed hardtop, though you still don't get the structural rigidity of the coupe.

On freeways, all G37s cruise comfortably and quietly, and that may be the biggest improvement of all. While they maintain there sporty performance edge, much of the roughness, almost cheapness, has been refined out. The irritating drone that often plagued rear seat passengers in earlier sedans is gone, and when it comes to controlling noise and vibration inside, the G37 competes on much better terms with competitors such as Lexus and Audi.

There's little wind noise even at extra-legal speeds. There's more road noise from the optional, larger tire packages than from the standard treads, but the added grip and, frankly, sharper looking 19-inch wheels, are worth it.

All G37 variants are equipped with the same 3.7 liter V6, though exact output varies slightly depending on the body style. The Coupe's 330 horsepower is a lot to get out of a non-turbocharged six-cylinder, and it ranks right at the top of the G37's class. The engine features the latest in material and control technology. Its hydraulically controlled variable valve timing system improves not only performance and response, but also emissions and fuel efficiency.

All G37s deliver great acceleration. Stand on the gas and they pull right up to maximum rpm, willingly and heartily revving to levels normally associated with smaller, less complex engines. And the character is as important as sheer performance.

This V6 generates about 270 pound-feet of torque at a peaky 5200 rpm, and revs to a howling pitch at 7500 rpm, where the rev limiter begins to gently cut fuel. The power comes smooth and quick, accompanied by a unique howl crafted into the exhaust system. You can hear it when a G37 rolls by at 20 mph, and you can hear it from the driver's seat with the windows (or top) down. We guarantee it will bring a smile to your face. You can barely hear it with the windows up, however, thanks to improvements Infiniti has made reducing noise and vibration inside.

The seven-speed automatic transmission allows brisk acceleration, with a big overdrive gear that means lower engine speeds and less noise when cruising on the freeway. The automatic does its job casually at part-throttle. Most of the time we stayed in plain old Drive, able to forget the transmission was even there. If the driver moves the stubby leather-wrapped shift lever to the left, however, Sport mode is engaged. The upshifts come at higher rpm, and both upshifts and downshifts are sharper. Holding the right foot hard to the floor produces sharper, more solid shifts at the engine's redline.

For more aggressive driving on lightly traveled back roads, we liked the Manual mode. The automatic changes gears quickest and smoothest with either the shift lever or the column-mounted paddles under full throttle; it's like a power shift without the clutch. Credit the engine's control electronics, which feather the throttle through the instantaneous shift. The same electronics deliver smooth downshifts, too, whether in full auto mode or manual override, by blipping the throttle to match engine rpm to transmission speed in the lower gear. It's like double clutching a pure manual gearbox.

In short, the G37's seven-speed automatic is excellent, but we still like the conventional six-speed manual. We like it even better that Infiniti offers a manual in a category where such transmissions are increasingly rare. Gear selection is precise, requiring little effort. Clutch operation is heavier than we would expect even on a sports sedan. This can make for sometimes rocky clutch engagement, especially at low speeds and light throttle. The stiff clutch and stiff suspension can be annoying when motoring around the neighborhood at low speeds, especially if the roads are rough. But once the driver is used to it, it's a satisfying operation.

The balance of ride and handling is consistently good across the G37 line. The G37 uses rear-wheel drive, like a BMW, rather than front-wheel drive like an Acura. The G37 base and Journey models are a bit more softly sprung than the Sport 6MTs, but none of them float around. Quite the opposite, actually.

The 6MT sport-tuned suspension is the preferred choice for hustling down winding roads. It's comfortable cruising the Interstate: solid and taut, managing the G37's mass very well without exacting a price in stiffness. But the sports suspension is firmer than the standard suspension and it will transmit pavement heaves more dramatically into the passenger compartment.

The Coupe is the sportiest G37. We're really impressed with the handling, especially with the Sport package. The speed-sensitive power steering is seamless. It turns precisely into corners, with no dead spots through a long curve. The front-midship layout of the G37, with the engine set farther back behind the front axle, is inherently well balanced. Driving hard over roads that would cause almost any car to twitch, the steering wheel stays remarkably steady.

The Coupe Sport 6MT is so good it almost has a downside. Pushing harder, over remote, twisty, smooth curves, we felt the standard limited-slip differential and stability electronics (VSD) at work. Or rather, we saw them working thanks to a light on the dash. The corrections are beautifully subtle. You can pitch the G37 to a ridiculous point, and the VSD just gently won't allow the car to get out of shape. It doesn't tell you how wrong you were, by killing engine power for too long, like some electronic stability controls do.

The brakes are smooth, predictable, and rock steady, inspiring confidence in any driver. They're also sensitive, and when you jump on them they grab, so it takes a little time to develop the technique for smooth application. The G37 Sport models come with bigger brakes than the others for less fade in repeated hard applications.

Infiniti's ATESSA E-TS all-wheel-drive system monitors data such as wheel spin, throttle position and vehicle speed, and automatically diverts up to 50 percent of the engine's power to the front wheels, improving traction and control when road conditions are less than optimal. Yet in ideal conditions, when the road is smooth and dry, the all-wheel drive system still sends all of the power to the rear wheels, preserving the G's sporty rear-drive handling characteristics.

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