 2010 Infiniti G37x coupe. Click image to enlarge |
|
Related articles on Autos
Manufacturer’s web site
|
Join Autos’s Facebook group
Follow Autos on TwitterReview and photos by Peter Bleakney
Find this vehicle in Autos’s Classified Ads
Photo Gallery:
2010 Infiniti G37 coupe
While enthusiasts tend to look to Germany for their luxury sport coupe ya-yas, a week behind the wheel of a 2010 Infiniti G37x Coupe reminded me of how this Japanese automaker is pretty serious about playing in the Teutonic sandbox, and more specifically, decoding the benchmark BMW 3 Series. Regarding the latter, Infiniti seems more determined than just about any other manufacturer.
The 2010 G37, in it’s third year of this second generation, comes in four flavours: G37 Coupe, G37 Coupe Sport, G37S Coupe Sport 6MT and G37x Coupe AWD – each equipped with a standard 3.7-litre VQ-series V6 with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) rated at 330 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm.
My AWD tester, available only with a seven-speed auto, carried a base sticker of $48,800. The High-Tech Package kicked the price up to $52,550.
 2010 Infiniti G37x coupe. Click image to enlarge |
The G37 gets a few tweaks for 2010 – new “Shodo” brushed finish interior aluminum trim, eight-way power passenger seats, a freshened centre console design on automatic transmission-equipped models and a number of package content changes, such as the addition of the Advanced Climate Control System (ACCS) with Plasmacluster air purifier to the Technology Package. RearView Monitor is now standard on all models.
This is on top of the standard power sliding glass moonroof, 11-speaker Bose audio system, 2.0-GB Music Box, memory system (drivers seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors), driver’s seat power lumbar support, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel and Rear Sonar System.
The G37 kicks the Germans in the keister when it comes to value. A similarly equipped 2011 BMW 335i xDrive will be about ten grand dearer. The Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe bows at $58,600 without navigation and a loaded up Audi A5 3.2 FSI quattro comes in around 61 grand.
 2010 Infiniti G37x coupe. Click image to enlarge |
So how does the Infiniti G37x drive? Very well. In this crowd, it comes closest to the athleticism of the Bimmer. The Merc coupe is more of a boulevardier, and the good looking Audi A5 is a tad nose heavy and understeers when pressed.
Initially, one could be lulled into thinking the G37x is more luxury than sport. This coupe has a smooth ride and it shrugs off road imperfections. It doesn’t feel as intimate inside as the BMW 335i (as it is a half size up) and its seats don’t hug you with the conviction of the Bavarian, yet clues to the car’s other talents reveal themselves quickly.
The steering has a nice, meaty linear feel (not quite as good as the BMW but certainly more ‘feelsome’ than the Audi and Merc) and the V6 emits a lusty snarl. No lack of urge here either. While torque peak arrives at a fairly lofty rpm, there’s plenty down low, and the way the power delivery ramps up over the rev range is very satisfying. The engine redlines at 7,500 rpm, and although not as creamy smooth as BMW’s stellar 300-hp 3.0-litre turbo straight-six, it doesn’t feel as coarse as previous versions of the VQ-series V6 I’ve tested.
Hit a twisty section of blacktop and G37x’s personality comes into sharper focus. It shows a fine balance of steering and path control, and the harder you push, the more this coupe bites, sets and carves the corners with unerring neutrality. Where the Mercedes and Audi coupes would be floundering, the G37x calls out for more.
