Having fun under the sun!
While the next generation of the Infiniti G Coupe has been unveiled in the Big Apple, I had a blast test-driving the current G35 under the Florida sun and palm trees. I'll tell you, this Japanese 2-door coupe is as striking as ever...
I vividly remember my first experience with the G35. The year was 2002 -- time surely goes by fast! -- and I wrote that the G35 sedan was the closest thing to the German benchmark cars among Japanese models.
True, the Asian competition has heated up since. But the 2007 G35 Coupe that I drove on Florida's sunny boulevards is still the one that shines the most in my mind.
Driving fun
First of all, the front mid-ship platform on which the coupe is based is still outstanding by modern standards; in fact, it will be carried over to the next generation.
By allowing the good ol' 3.5L V6 engine to be mounted behind the front wheels, almost at a perfect balance point, this RWD architecture translates into a nice weight distribution (54:46). And you can feel it on the road: this solid coupe bites the tarmac with its massive 19-inch tires (on the test model).
The 293-hp V6 and 6-speed manual transmission deliver dynamic accelerations as well as one of the most intoxicating sound you'll ever hear coming from a 6-cylinder powerplant. The steering is precise and nicely weighted; it leads exactly where the driver wants to go.
The sport-tuned suspension (standard on manual-equipped models) is probably the firmest of the entire Infiniti family, maybe even Nissan's. And since the car is so good in tight maneuvers, you tend to forgive its harsher-than-expected ride on city streets.
While the next generation of the Infiniti G Coupe has been unveiled in the Big Apple, I had a blast test-driving the current G35 under the Florida sun and palm trees. I'll tell you, this Japanese 2-door coupe is as striking as ever...
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| The G35 Coupe still has "it". |
I vividly remember my first experience with the G35. The year was 2002 -- time surely goes by fast! -- and I wrote that the G35 sedan was the closest thing to the German benchmark cars among Japanese models.
True, the Asian competition has heated up since. But the 2007 G35 Coupe that I drove on Florida's sunny boulevards is still the one that shines the most in my mind.
Driving fun
First of all, the front mid-ship platform on which the coupe is based is still outstanding by modern standards; in fact, it will be carried over to the next generation.
By allowing the good ol' 3.5L V6 engine to be mounted behind the front wheels, almost at a perfect balance point, this RWD architecture translates into a nice weight distribution (54:46). And you can feel it on the road: this solid coupe bites the tarmac with its massive 19-inch tires (on the test model).
The 293-hp V6 and 6-speed manual transmission deliver dynamic accelerations as well as one of the most intoxicating sound you'll ever hear coming from a 6-cylinder powerplant. The steering is precise and nicely weighted; it leads exactly where the driver wants to go.
The sport-tuned suspension (standard on manual-equipped models) is probably the firmest of the entire Infiniti family, maybe even Nissan's. And since the car is so good in tight maneuvers, you tend to forgive its harsher-than-expected ride on city streets.
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| Here's the venerable and amazingly competent 3.5L V6 engine. |