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Comments
Another option is to wait for a month or two until Nismo is fully involved with the Nissan/Infiniti dealers and you can use their very strong unit which will be offered for the Z and, I believe, coupe. I'm assuming the differential is the same fitment in the sedan.
There are a lot of ifs in here. You'll need to do some searching and this spring should bring the release of the first wave of lots of aftermarket pieces. My suggestion would be to wait a year longer; when new cars and aftermarket options come on the market, lots of them aren't worth the effort and cause trouble. Let the track guys check it all out for awhile.
JW
I assume Nismo will offer the same LSD unit as in the "Z".
That should be available now as a replacement part. I will research.
I'm surprised no one has heard of a "G" owner already performing this upgrade.
An LSD unit is almost mandatory if you are raising the performance level of the car in any way.
In the past, LSD or "Positraction" was standard on every performance model package or available as an option on even mundane models.
Now the manufacturers think "Traction Control" performs the same function. Not!
If you want to intentionally slide the rear out, TC will really spoil your day, especially if you don't have some way to limit tire slip differential between the rear tires. Since the TC systems use input from the ABS sensors on each wheel, your intentional slip is interpreted as a death slide into a tree. Not exactly the fastest way around the corner when your car automatically applies the binders on the
spinning wheel and/or the opposite one with the traction.
That Infiniti will offer the G35 MTX Sedan without a "Track Option" is beyond me.
It's the old "2 door vs. 4 door" discrimination game.
According to the manufacturers (except maybe BMW), adding two doors to the "Z" makes for a totally different car.
Hey, it's just two more doors!
But maybe I should shut up and be happy that Nissan went to the trouble of making a new 6 speed tranny with a decent overdrive and is daring to put it in a 4 door sedan.
Lexus, Cadillac, and Lincoln failed to do it right with their Manuals.
As a result, all three manual models have no or only token overdrives, and all have only five speeds. Toyota already had a great overdrive five speed from the Supra/Cressida but it was too large for the diminutive IS300 body even though it was used with the same engine. What a waste of money to design a new only smaller but worse, token overdrive tranny for the IS300. MTX Lexus sales have been disappointing and this is part of the story. Too little, too late.
Both the Lincoln and CTS use Getrags with ratios so poor it's like 3000 rpm at 75mph. Great for a "luxury" car. Of course, the MTX Lincoln is history now.
That's why the G35 Manual will be the best in the market. It's the initial design goal of having six-speeds and a decent overdrive. Not as good as a Tremec's overdrive ratio in the .7:1 range, but the best overall.
Watch for the first road tests of the G MTX Sedan
within a month's time.
This should be a car that truly outperforms it's automatic brother.
I predict a 5.7 0-60 and a line forming down at the Infinity dealer.
With some Nismo parts, the car should embarass the older M3's, especially the 1998 and older 4 doors.
Nothing in the current 4 door offerings except the M5 and other exotics that you will never see will be a challenge. Besides, most M5 drivers, like most Corvette drivers, are afraid that G-forces will upset their pacemakers.
What's the sense of having a car with high limits if you don't know where they are. As Dirty Harry said: "A man has to know his limitations".
Knowing your car's limitations (and where yours start) might save your life someday.
The sport suspension made an already firm ride even firmer. I prefer a little more comfort over race car handling. And I didn't like the silver console. I bought the non-Sport.
Personally, I think that an AWD MT G35 sedan would be king of the hill. I may have to settle for the STi or even the lowly WRX, though
Speaking of which, you don't have to go to $80k for competition, stanny. You can get your clock cleaned, if that's all that's important, LSD or not, by a $23000 Subaru. If you really want to get competitive you need to strip 400-500 pounds of weight from either the coupe or the sedan.
Note: I like the cars just fine, but realism is a good thing.
JW
All other vehicles with manual mode that I have driven put you in the gear that the transmission is currently in. Seems more practical.
Is there some reason behind this? Is this an annoyance to those who have used it?
It doesn't really go into 4th either, it's just limited to 4th at the high end -- ie, no 5th. As you reduce the gear showing on the display, you're limiting the upshifts, but not downshifts. If I set mine to 2M (2nd Manual), I can still come to a complete stop, take off in 1st, it will upshift on its own to 2nd, and then not go to 3rd.
When you downshift, it's pretty slow, I think because it has to calculate if you can do that without over-reving the engine. The upshifts seem fine to me even though the power comes on pretty quick so you might end up hitting the rev-limiter if you don't plan ahead a little. I don't really use the manual mode, I think it'd only be useful for racing which I don't do. Especially since it effectively only lets upshift a little later.
Scott
With the G, at a complete stand still, I threw it into manu-matic. The display showed 4th gear, and I had to downshift to 1st before going. Is that what you have experienced? Perhaps I didn't have to downshift and it would displayed 1st once I started going.
I don't use it much either, mostly on some winding back roads that I have nearby. I do enjoy it at though.
I am perhaps a few days away from ordering a G. This is not a major issue, just a question for those who have used it.
Scott
When I raced Solo2 last February at California Speedway, the WRX's were indeed fast. So were the Cobras and Corvettes.
The G35 will create it's own place. Soon, modified G35's will be surprising even hardened SCCA types.
The WRX is lighter but to me quite unrefined. It will be fighting against the Evo.
After the G's initial exposure in Solo2, it will be interesting to see where the SCCA boys rank it.
Will it be in with the IS300 and Lincoln LS? Or maybe the 3/5 series? Great question.
I agree, stanny. And you did that without using "ugly" in the same sentence with WRX! Good job;-) FYI, I understand that the 350Z has been placed in the BS category for starters, though I haven't had time to confirm it.
JW
I could not find most of the local chapters, although almost all have web sites. About a week after a race, the results are posted on the sites.
It makes interesting reading because you can see which class a particular car is in, and the typical range of times for a car model.
The last race was 11/30 and results are not up yet. But the results for 11/10 are, but no mention of a "G".
My guess is that races will resume January 18 or 19th. It doesn't cost very much and it's loads of fun. I started Solo2 here in 1975, but it was not called Solo2.
You will see lots of WRX's and other 4 door sedans. Not too many Beemers - they have their own club and their own races, as do the Porsches.
One site you won't see are countless spring-cut Civics, Accords and Eclipses with added large diameter exhaust pipes. They might look cool on the street, but they don't seem to want to play on the track.
http://www.scca.org/
http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/regional_sch.html
There are other links pages you can reach from the main one that will take you to each of the local clubs.
JW
Would any G35 owners in NJ and the surrounding areas please comment regarding what it was like to drive in yesterday's snow.
I would be most grateful. I love the G35 and I am trying to decide whether to wait for AWD. I have seen postings of rumors that AWD will be available anytime between next spring and the 2005 model year.
thank you
In other words, without snow tires you will have a problem, even with snow tires in deep snow you will have a problem.
I believe the base Altima 2.5 is gone now too - a pure marketing tool to say "starting from...." a low number. But only a few ever get built.
C'mon Infiniti! Your G35 is the darling of the auto world. Make the car next to perfect by upgrading the interior materials (and adding a fold-down rear seat...)
Unfortunately, you can't get the sport package wheels, tires and tighter springs without the plasti-titanium. So I went with the standard wheels, etc. The car still handles very nicely and rides very well.
Some Japanese Nissan web sites show optional wood trimmed center consoles in either Maple or a Rosewood look. The photos of these options look way nicer to me than the aftermarket wood trim kits. Infiniti should make a REAL wood option, with these center consoles.
I actually wanted to drive the coupe, but a gorgeous metallic green sedan with tan interior caught my eye, and I had to try it out.
First of all, I was impressed with the interior and exterior design overall. Yes, the steering wheel is a little "280Zish", and more than a couple controls are "quirky", but overall I liked the interior. The tan interior is more attractive than black to me, though. I also thought the quality of plastics was fine. Not plush like a lexus, but more than acceptable. I didn't notice the seat controls to be annoying, although I only sat and drove for about 15 minutes...I can see how it might be a problem, though.
Ultimately, the test drive truly convinced me that this will probably be my next car. I was stunned by the acceleration and handling of this "largish" sedan. Not quite V-8 fast, but close enough to satisfy. I was also very surprised to experience just how relaxed and refined the G35 cruises on the highway. I expected it to be a little harsh and noisy for this class, but my experience was that it is very tight and controlled, with no harshness whatsoever.
The salesperson that helped me was very well informed, yet laid back enough when he found out that I'm an enthusiast who had already researched the car. He told me the 6 speed will be out around February and that they are taking orders for it now.
I can't speak from personal experience since I didn't drive the coupe, but I suspect that the coupe is not noticeably quicker than the sedan by seat of the pants driving. It weighs a little more, and 20 hp isn't really that much (7%).
The 6 speed sedan would definitely the way for me to go. Also, did I notice that the headliner material and plastics on the pillars are higher quality on the sedan vs. the coupe? I didn't look at the coupe materials closely enough to remember.
To all you owners, I congratulate (and envy) you.
My salesperson was fairly well informed, and very friendly. He didn't seem to know the difference between the Aero Package and the Aerodynamic Body Kit, though. That's okay, I don't expect the salesperson to be an expert on every feature on every car in the lot -- that's why I did my research before placing a foot in their showroom.
Then, after they found one the way I wanted it, the sales manager commented, "We don't order many with the Winter package."
Whatever.
JW
I'm sorry but you should expect a salesperson at any luxury dealership to know everthing about the company's top selling vehicle. Heck, when they only have 5-6 cars, he should know them inside and out. It's their job. I can't meet with a client and when asked about our software suite shrug and say "I dunno." That's totally unprofessional.
Every time I've been to an Infiniti dealership the salesmen have known the cars down to the bolt sizes. It's always been refreshing and a nice contrast to the treatment at most other places.
But you're right to catch me: my visits to 3 Infiniti dealers have located people who are relatively well-informed, though now that the G series is available there seems to be an increasing effort to fantasize and exaggerate -- I've heard, for example, that 'the coupe is exactly the same car as the Z and they drive just the same.' 'I believe that's real titanium on there.' 'We may not get anymore till next summer.' In the interest of the accuracy we're insisting on, those statements are paraphrase, not verbatim.
But you're right that direct questions regarding mechanical features of the car have been well-informed. Unusual, imo, and welcome.
JW
In my mind, the design has an elective affinity for a rear wheel drive car, and almost connotes squatting down in the rear under power and Springing away like a cat... Of course, all of this is completely subjective, but if you looked at a Mercury Grand Marquis from the side profile, most would agree you just don't get the same impression from that particular body style
G35's to me look "feisty" which is uncommon in a car of its size and serves to underpin its performance stature... and morever less common is this same feisty "aura" in a car of its practicality and utility...
I like mine
Faenor/Dane4
The G's spoiler actually has purpose.. it, with some underbody diffusers (the Aero Package) provides zero-lift on the rear half, and a .01 drop in the drag coefficient.
And yes, I have actually seen a tri-wing spoiler on a Civic. I think it's only real purpose was to shift weight off the drive wheels.
I also had circuit city put in an Alpine XM reciever. They simply pulled the plastic console and was able to access the radio wires from there, so no major surgery was required. I am not crazy about having a computer mouse on my white trunk lid (the antenna)but the music and programs are terrific.
Driving home tonight after taking the wife to see the new james Bond movie ( whoa baby, great movie)
and listing to classic rock on XM, enjoying the smooth powerfull ride of the G, I was wondering if it got any better. This 52 year old has certainly never had it so good.
Wow, it's tough when you hear blatant lies not to jump in and call the person out for their mendacity. Sometimes I do intercede, but other times I feel like if the consumer is buying the lie, who am I to interfere. Tough to listen to though.
I so wish car salesmen weren't given to such things. While on a test drive a salesguy told me to look at a building as we passed it, saying, "So you can see how cool you look driving this car." Uh, does that actually influence someone? LOL
It may not be condonable, but it's certainly understandable how a car salesperson might "embellish" the truth with all the same verve as those Bowflex commercials that feature perfect physical specimens in their ads. It seems perfectly reasonable to see beautiful people in the Bowflex ads and commercials, but when a car salesperson puts a grandiose spin on the facts, it suddenly becomes a monumental transgression!
When the salesperson told you to look at the windows of the building as you passed, I thought to myself "Masterful stroke of advertising by an animated billboard" not "This person is an unmitigated fool" If you approach the experience with that angle, things just seem to make more sense, like "That hammer HURT when it landed on my toe!" instead of "Why did that hammer have to land on my toe!"
If you think about it, the salespersons request, while seemingly outlandish" was only an extension of the reasons many people go out and buy nice cars to begin with...
For me, when I step on a car lot, I expect to be bombarded by advertising, not truth (which is why it is SO refreshing when you do get truth and knowledge)... In my mind, its my money, and therefore my responsibility to weed through the trash to find the nuggets of reality... and in the end, that's half the fun as well!
have a good one,
Dane4/Faenor
When the salesguy suggested I look at my reflection while driving the car I shot back without a hint of sarcasm: "Does that really work?" I didn't think him a fool; rather, I found it amusing that's a tactic.
Not catching my angle he responded as if speaking to rainman, "Yeah, you can see your reflection on the windows."
I corrected him gently saying, "No, do people actually buy into that?"
He was a bit taken aback, then he laughed a bit uncomfortably and told me it does work with some people.
I must admit his ploy to me is far more impressive than outright lying. I'd prefer a salesguy using the old, "The color of the G35 goes with your eyes" over, "This G35 sedan is faster than every car made by BMW."
The current G35 coupe campaign seems to be a nice little series that's supposed to evoke a feeling of, finally after spending one's youth loving the thrill of movement and life, I have found it all again in this car. "When did it happen for you?" Nice advertising. The sedan was the car we were promised and the the coupe is the vehicle that will put us back in touch with the ethereal thrill of life and movement.
The advertising is fine, but did you ever notice how the (few) good salesmen don't need it? Rather than a red herring, they provide information you can't get in a brochure or a review. Rather than the smoke and mirrors (or building windows) of cosmetics, they provide you with silent time with the ride. And when the time comes, they close with a legitimate offer and rather than try to pick your pocket of every single nickle, they offer extra services to make the experience something you want to repeat.
They make more than one sale at a time this way. Of course they're in it for the long haul, too, and will be there when you go back the next year, or five. Or when the friends you've told go in.
Very rare. I know two. Too bad one sells Fords, the other Acura. Both moved, when their original dealership changed hands, from a highline performance brand (one from Porsche, the other from Ferrari/Rolls) and have been with their present dealerships -- each with desirable reputations -- for years.
Back on topic: I think this is the sort of experience Infiniti aspires to. Unfortunately, because there are so few of these fine salespeople, they have to take many of the rest: talking heads, moving billboards, who spout marketing flush because they don't value or understand the cars they sell.
JW
Loaner car was still standard with no mention at all of any policy changes. The only thing that I noted was different in the experience is that when I called for an appointment the very nice young lady said something to the effect of "The next appointment with an available loaner car is..." and the time interval was slightly longer than has been for all other appointments I have made, but nothing bad at all timewise. Not sure how one could draw any significance from that bit, but it might represent some evidence of a policy change of some sort. Perhaps they push the regular service farther back in the schedule to give warranty and repairs priority on loaners?
One thing as a heads up, is that the next time you bring your G in for any service they will install (they call them) "Caps" on the back of your headlights for xenon equipped cars.
My service rep mentioned that they were protective caps of some sort, but after we both looked at the diagrams of the REQUIRED installation, it was obvious what they were for: They are tamper proof covers for the beam height adjustment of the xenons (and here I've been searching for months trying to figure out how to adjust them on my own and they were right there staring me in the face! (the shop manual pointed at a completely different adjustment screw which was not accessible without some disassembly)
These caps comprise of a sleeve that goes over the shank of the metal adjusting screw and a cap that gets glued on in a semi permanent fashion. So if for some reason you have a need to get to that screw, you might want to visit it before the epoxy dries
So the next time you go in for service and they tell you about the protective caps for the headlight assembly you'll know what they are
I would think that would get a fire lit under any car manufacturers bottom
But to end, once again a stellar rating for Infiniti of Pleasanton! Those people do an incredible job in the customer service department!
Faenor/Dane4
But as far as the "Eye color matches the car well" tack, I did once see a beautiful woman whose eyes were the exact same color of her ice blue metallic corvette *laughing* She definitely had to have had it painted custom as I had never seen one in that color before... For her own marketing goals, it was a winner for me!
Faenor/Dane4
On thing that I found gratifying in the several infiniti Dealerships I visited is that good salespeople present was far above average
Have a good one!
Faenor/Dane4
My older brother was looking at a Mustang II in the late 70's... I still remember the seedy salesperson exclaim to him "Have you ever seen a sexier car!"
I was stunned to the point of not knowing how to react, so I just stood there wishing I had something good to offer back like when Inyigo Montoya says in "the Princess Bride"
"I dohn theenk that word meens what you theenk it meenz..."
Faenor/Dane4
"U.S. Only 330i Performance Upgrade" is the title.
Different camshafts and revised computer calibrations raise hp from 225 to 235.
Now a six-speed tranny with short-throw shifter will be standard. (No doubt the Getrag from the M3.)
BMW says this new 330i will do 0-60 in 6 seconds flat, a half-second faster than the "old" 330i.
It also has a more aggressively tuned suspension, 18 inch wheels, black headlight trim, re-tuned exhaust and Alcantara sport seats and steering wheel.
It's said the competition improves the breed, and BMW's response is obviously a response to the G35 and G35c.
I pity all the recent manual 330i buyers who had to settle for a five-speed manual.
For those of you that are not into gearing, the 5 speed Getrag, as used in all BMW's as well as the old Lincoln LSes, has no overdrive gear.
By using the M3's Getrag, the new 330i gains a sixth overdrive gear so the "new" 330i could also have a deeper rear end ratio and turn the same or lower RPM at a given speed.
No mention in the article of the new price for these improvements, but I bet it's going to raise the already substantial margin between this new 330i and the upcoming G35-6 Sedan.
Even with their new model, I predict that the new G35-6 Sedan will beat the new Bimmer in 0-60.
I also think the new G will have an 18" wheel package (possibly as standard) and this may come with a LSDas well.
All in all, nothing to worry about.
Spend some of the difference on some mods from Nismo, and the new G35-6 will easily blow away the "new" 330i.
I love competition. Now that BMW has some.
While the 330ic has been timed to 60 in 5.9s, I'm guessing the mags will be able to get it down to 5.5. Given the fact the BMW tends to be conservative with it's numbers.
While you say the G35 will "blow" away the new 330i, the G35 with it's liter and HP advantage has yet to do the same. Sure you can mod the engine, but that's the only way the G35 will beat the 330i.
But I think the MTX G35 will cut a 5.7 0-60 and the magazines will have to run a comparo again.
One test I remember had the Auto G35 at 6.2 vs. the MTX 330i at 6.1.
The new MTX 330i will probably do a 5.7 also.
It should be interesting!
But it will be a lot cheaper to make at least some small gains with the G using Nismo or aftermarket parts.
Of course, we are bench racing here. We won't have a real race until February, when the mags MAY get some real world info out. Their lead times are about 3 months.
stanny, I'm curious what makes you think a 5.7 is in the offing? I haven't heard anyone consider that as a possibility for the stock models -- what am I missing?
JW