2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan Preview

Best Performer in Class Gets Even Better

When Infiniti introduced the G35 a couple of years ago a group of journalists, including myself, were taken to a West Coast Gulf

Earlier this year, Infiniti, Nissan's luxury division, announced specific updates for the G35 in the 2005 model year. (Photo: Infiniti Canada)

Island. At first I couldn't have imagined how we were going to stretch the legs of these highly touted new models on a little island, but after spending a day there winding, twisting, dipping, and diving I was sold, on the island and the car.

To me, this side of BMW 5-Series, there is no better handling sedan on the market. And this is from a 6-times BMW owner. Throw in the brand's wonderfully flexible high-revving 260 horsepower V6 with 260 lb-ft of torque, and it smoked everything in its class.

To be fair to BMW, the Infiniti was not without fault. Its interior was nicely designed but lacked the refinement of the

It's easy to see the changes from the original 2003 G35 sedan (shown) when placed side-by-side with the 2005. The 2004 model is identical to the 2003. (Photo: Infiniti Canada)

Bavarian, and its styling spoke deeply to some but simply wasn't for everyone - not necessarily a bad thing.

Well, since the G35 surfaced BMW has become the controversial one with regards to exterior design and Infiniti has made improvements in interior execution. Fortunately for conservative BMW fans, of which I am not one, the BMW 3-Series has somehow managed to stay clear of Bangle, Hooydonk and company's scalpel. Still, an updated version is expected fairly soon, albeit more conservatively penned than BMW's 5- and 7-Series. Even so, there will be many disgruntled BMW fans that will be looking for an alternative to their favorite "Bahn-stormer," and Infiniti, the natural alternative, will be willing and waiting with a much improved G35.