Style is a matter of personal taste. What one may consider a
beautiful design, others may find lacks taste, or to be even
hideous. That was the case with our recent test of the ’09
Infiniti G37 Coupe. During the first day with the car, several
people commented on the styling—while driving through the “hip”
Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, people were giving the car a thumbs
up on several occasions. Shortly after parking, a younger man
who seemed to enjoy getting tattoos—there were numerous on his
arms—commented: “Sweet ride, man.” I gave him a nod a headed on
my way.
The response wasn’t quite the same when going through the more
“conservative” village of Grosse Pointe, where the more
entrenched money lives. People here were less attentive of the
car, but one man who had a previous-generation G35 sedan wasn’t
willing to hold back his feelings: “What have they done to the
car? I like the looks of mine much better,” he said. I told him
that Infiniti was just trying to set a new design course for the
G, one that built off of its tradition, with an injection of
youthful spirit. “They ruined it if you ask me,” he said.
Personally, I like the looks of the G37. The long hood, sweeping
roofline and our test car’s 18-in. alloy wheels give the car a
unique style that shatters the me-too look of other cars. The
bulging wheel arches, upswept belt line and curve-hugging
headlamps give the car the appearance of motion, even while
sitting still. The front fascia maintains the signature large
Infiniti grille. The curves of the headlamps are accentuated by
a bulge in the hood, a nod to the 330 horses from the 3.7-liter
DOHC V6 engine. The rear end is equally neatly tailored, with
its wraparound tail lamps and tastefully done spoiler.
Inside, the G37 raises the bar on its predecessor by using
higher-grade materials that don’t give off a pinging sound when
you tap them, like the plastic that ensconced the previous car.
Still, the visual harmony is a bit lacking, especially when
compared to some of the leading competitors, including the BMW
3-Series coupe and the Mercedes E-Class Coupe.
The G37 is more than just a nice set of sheet metal parts. Fire
up the 3.7-liter engine and the 270 lb.-ft. of torque gets sent
through the smooth shifting 7-speed transmission like a
masterfully done rendition of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro.” The
suspension is tuned to hug the road with ease, although I did
find it a bit jarring when traveling over the excessively
imperfect roads that cover the Michigan landscape. Still, tuck
G37 into a tight corner, push on the accelerator, and all the
time spent evading potholes is all but forgotten. Our test car’s
optional all-wheel-drive system added to the handling prowess.
What’s truly admirable about the G37 is the fact that it doesn’t
blend in; it handles like a true sports coupe and, while the
interior may need some more tweaking, it’s a step in the right
direction.
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