Infiniti G35 Sedan 2006 and earlier

norcalmike2

The current Car and Driver magazine also has an article about the TL. Apparently thieves are having a field day stealing the xenon headlight assembly from the TL so they can use them in their stolen Honda Accords (the vehicle stolen more than any other vehicle in America). See, another great reason to buy a G35. You can't install a stolen G35 headlight assembly in another car ;-)

cecilt

I have not owned an Infiniti in the past but am considering the G35 when it comes out w/ the 6 speed. My problem(and may not be a problem) is the closest dealership is about 90 miles away. There is a local Nissan dealership though. What do you do for service, warranty work etc. I would hate to put 180 on the car evertime I needed the dealer to hear a rattle, squeak or fix something under warranty. Will Nissan treat you as good as Infiniti and do all repairs there. Thanks

robertr

I have the same situation. I am interested in the 6-speed G35 and my closest Infiniti dealership is about 90 miles away also.

I am very happy with my current Nissan dealership (25 miles away) and salesman and would like to give them my business. I wish Nissan allowed its (good) dealers to sell Infiniti cars, especially since the Infiniti dealer network doesn't seem to have as good geographic coverage as Lexus and Acura, both of which are less than 5 miles from me.

kevingreese

As of now there are plans eventually to build a convertible version of the G35 coupe.

j1g35

In the Infiniti ad on the back cover of the 3/2002 Road & Track it states that the "G35 luxury sport sedan arrives in April". What happened to March 15? My dealer hasn't (or won't say) any information, even though I early ordered a car.

rezo00

honestly me and my brother routinely drive into the desert north of vegas (toward tonopaw) to visit my mom. It is better to car pool because it is a 200mi drive. His maxima (2000) cruses at 100mph with very little noticable differece then at 70mph. we routenly drive the long strait roads like this, dut to the fact the cops only sit at the intersections every 20-30 miles. The new G35 is 1/2 liter bigger and more powerful, I doubt it will be any rougher at 100.

gandhim3

Went to my frindly neighborhood B.Dalton's and read through all the latest car magazines for the verdict.

All were glowing, and all lamented the fact that the manual is not available at launch. But one interesting tid-bit I found in the Road & Track preview is that they stated that the manual version of the car WILL have a handbrake on the center console.

Why Infiniti will add to their manufacturing costs by having a footbrake for the auto and a handbrake for the manny baffles me. They basically have to design two seperate consoles (not to mention the right and left side conversion for different markets), and have to have the cabling routed differently as well.

Obviously this is from Road & Track, and not Infiniti, so who knows what the true situation is.

(Let the endless debates of handbrakes vs. footbrakes begin!)

keithat

Motor Trend has, what appears to be, the first drive report on the G35 (Mar 2002 issue). The wording makes it sounds as if they got to go thru some basics only, without any real "testing". They state that "we were able to verify Infiniti's claim that the car would feel as calm at 100 mph as it does at 30 mph". Good note for stability.

They speak favorably about corner roll and suspension response. They also state their estimate of 0-60 in 6.5. According to MT,that may even be "conservative".

Having personally tested the I35, which makes 5 less hp with the FWD configuration, I can say that rolling acceleration with this motor and the G35 layout is likely to be impressive for the class (I'm personally more interested in 40-60 and 50-70 times that stoplight runs).

dl7265

HAS A TWO PAGE WRITE UP AS WELL. ON PAGES 98-99.I POSTED SEVERAL OF THEIR COMMENTS A WHILE BACK.

DL

jrct9454

...drove the same pre-production cars at the same invitation-only event. Any alleged differences in coverage ["preview" vs "full test"] are all in the eyes of the writers and how they chose to drive the cars they had to work with. For example, all of the cars the press got to use had the sports suspension...in which I have no interest whatsoever. Real tests of real production cars will have to wait for months - there won't be any in this country for several weeks, after all.

riez

rezo00... Is your brother's 2000 Maxima an automatic or manual? What is the tachometer showing at 70 mph versus 100 mph? There has to be a significant increase in RPMs. If I remember right, the automatics are geared better for relaxed highway cruisin' than the manuals.

cheerioboy26

That particular ad, which has appeared in numerous magazines, has always said April. Perhaps because if they just said March, people would walk in on the 10th and expect to see the G. Of course, they could say "March 15" but then I don't think they should commit to an exact date just in case every dealership can't get their cars on time....

stanny1

It seems that with the exception of the BMW six-speeds, all current RWD manual cars have poorer highway gearing than their automatic counterparts. This is a recent disease, as past models always gave manuals both performance AND economy advantages. Part of the blame is manufacturers using "off the shelf" manual transmissions from well-known manufacturers that do not even incorporate overdrive fifth gears, or overdrive fifth gears that are essentially useless (IS300, Lincoln LS, CTS).
Let's hope the six-speed in the G35 incorporates a real overdrive ratio in the .7 range, as well as a LSD rear instead of the numerous traction control schemes that penalize true performance driving.

blueguydotcom

I agree completely. I hope 6th is a legit cruising gear and an LSD would be great.

My current car's 5th gear is annoying as the car turns nearly 4000 rpm at reasonable freeway speeds (80-85). It's annoying on a long drive.

riez

stanny1... You gotta take an Acura 3.2 TL Type-S out for a spin. Its automatic uses an unbelievably low numerical overdrive 5th gear (.470). And an unbelievably high numerical final drive (4.428). Gives it great acceleration AND great highway fuel economy (19/29 mpg EPA)!!! Win-win. As it can and should be for all cars. A very quick car off the line that is also a very relaxed cruiser at high speeds.

gandhim3

The G35 will use the 6-speed manual borrowed from the new Z car. This 6-speed will also be shared with the next GTR.

As for the G35s automatic, the (relatively) high torque numbers dictated the use of the Q sedan's automatic - may be that explains the gearing. I read in one of those numerous previews that Nissan currently only has the Qs auto to be able to cope with the G35s engine.

(And for those going in to make snide remarks about Infiniti cutting corners, remember that BMW uses GMs slush box in their 3er)

The Autoweek article quoted one Nissan exec saying they are benchmarking the Honda S2000's manual. All indications are that the manual will be good. We will have to wait till this Fall to find out. Either that, or keep an eye out for the new Z car's reviews and see what the reviewer has to say about that manual.

stanny1

Now Riez, those are radical ratios. If we could just get any manual designer to even imitate the average five-speed automatic's ratios, I would be a happy camper. This should not be rocket science. However, Ford is having difficulty designing small truck manuals. I think very few engineers are left that have the skills and very few young engineers can learn the art as a consequence.
I thought Getrag was on the curve with the new CTS five-speed with overdrive. But fifth is only a .85, and with the deep rear ratio, cruise rpm is way up there. My Lincoln LS has a 3:07 rear and spins 3000 rpm at 75 mph. How ridiculous!

dpepper

cecilt & robertr

When you place your purchase, there is a $90.00 warranty fee. Even if you purchase from someone else your warranty work should be covered by local dealerships.

maybeg35

I guess the Corporate guy has been at every "First drive" we have read about. Every 0-60 time we have seen is estimated and with a proto car.
The car is out in Japan and being driven everyday yet no news here? I am just as concerned about 60-0 and RPM cruising at 80.
Don't they have G-techs?
Oh yeah is MPG on the Altima as bad as I have read. Anyone know?

riez

maybeg35... Guessin' that when a manufacturer lets you test their prototypes there are some ground rules. And if you are on their track in their car, they might not let you bring or set up any equipment. Plus, what is the point of getting data from prototypes or mules? I'd prefer to see real test data from real production cars. That tells me what I should be able to see from the actual car I buy. I also wonder if the prototypes or mules aren't modified a bit from what ends up in production. Either to make the car "hotter" than it will be or that it just won't perform like the production ones. Would seem to be fair to all parties, including buying public, to do complete tests of real cars.

maybeg35

Did you read my post at all?

blueguydotcom

...The same as US release versions. The US ones get the 3.5 L VQ. Japanese Skylines don't get a 3.5L VQ.

afty

I'm averaging around 19 mpg in my Altima 3.5 5-speed, with about 90% city driving in terrible stop-and-go traffic. This is not too bad in my opinion, considering my previous car had a 2.0L 4-cylinder, 100 hp less, and got 21-22 mpg in the same driving conditions.

maybeg35

I thought the V35/300GT was the same VQ 3.5 as we have here. I know it's the same HP rating, so what's diff.?

tco99

The Skyline 300GT has the VQ30DD Neo which is a direct injection version of the 3.0L VQ engine used in the 00-01 Maxima/I30. Only the recently annouced 350GT with the 8speed CVT has the same 3.5L displacement. But it's also a Neo-di engine is meant to run on low-sulfur gasoline used in Japan. So the 0-60 time for the Skyline will not be the same as the US Spec G35.

maybeg35

and the HP the same it's ought to run the same. Sulfur content or not. We're not talking about a diff. in octane, it's the same.

cncarlson

Went by the Infiniti dealer in ATL this weekend he said they would not get the cars till the first week of April, may have a couple testers before then. According to the Automobile article the G35 was designed to never take a V8. Should have the interior space of the I35.

Looking forward to driving it in April!!

stooge2000

None of the auto mags - C&D, M Trend, R&T - mentioned any skidpad numbers. Since the 3 series, Audi A4 and the Jaguar X all boast 0.83g or better, G35 has to do at least 0.80g to be in the league. G35 has a taller roof line than the others. Wonder if it would penalize the slalom result.

gerapau

If what tco99 said is correct (and I have no idea if he is), then the 3.5 is only available with the 8-sp CVT tranny and not with the 5 speed auto. To quote you "Did you read (tco99's) post at all?"

Also, even if the 5 speed, gear ratio and HP were the same, the acceleration may not necessarily be the same. There are too many other variables. Does the car weigh the same, is the torque curve identical, etc... Your best bet is to wait until some production cars start showing up in North America.

maybeg35

I read it! Doesn't mean it's right. I understand it's a diff. VQ but same HP and TORQUE. What could the diff. be maybe .2? Try this link for Japan 300GT. If it is all Japanese then go to bablefish and translate.

http://www.nissan.co.jp/SKYLINE/V35/0106/DATA/LINEUP/index.html

gandhim3

Maybeg wrote -

and the HP the same it's ought to run the same. Sulfur content or not.

May be the 3L has less torque than the US spec-3.5L? And you really cannot compare a CVT with a conventional slushbox.

As for sulphur content, blame your friendly oil companies for that. Nissan (or any other car manufacturer) will not bring over direct injection engines to the US because high sulphur fuels destroy these engines. Too many product liability issues.

Too bad, because direct injection engines are more efficient, and can be designed for either better mileage or more horsepower (or some combination, there of).

tco99

Here are the hard numbers:

Skyline 350GT has a VQ35DE Neo-di.
It's rated at 200KW(272PS) @ 6000RPM &
353N.M (36.0KgM) @ 4800RPM
Converts to 268HP@6000RPM and 260ft-lb Torque@4800

Skyline 300GT has a VQ30DE Neo-di engine.
It's rated at 191kW (260PS)@ 6400RPM &
324N.M (33KgM) @ 4800 RPM
Converts to 256HP@6400RPM & 239ft-lb@4800

The U.S. Spec G35 is a VQ35DE rated at:
260HP @ 6000 RPM
260ft-lb Torque at 4800RPM

As you can see, the number for the G35 engine is very different from the 3.0L 300GT engine. Its output is slightly less than the 350GT probably due to emission and the direct injection design.

motokichi

A simple bolt on mod (chip, exhaust and intake) ought to get this car up to 350Z numbers. This car should prove to be a good tuner platform - once they begin to offer the 6MT.

maybeg35

version with 4 hp less was clocked at say 5.9 or 6 sec in 0-60, but we don't know do we? If this was the case and with the same gearing and trans. then the US car should do better, right? As I said 60-0 is important to me too. Why would that be a secret too?

jlan

One of the recent articles in either C&D or R&T made mention of more body roll than expected. One of the early PRs mentioned that the tires were chosen for overall ride comfort. Thus, the 215/55s may not allow the car to be competitive with its targets. I also question the 52/48 weight bias and the "preload" argument made by the public relations people. After all, the 330i's weight bias puts the majority of the weight on the rear wheels, and it is consistently considered the best handling in its class. I too look forward to seeing actual instrumented testing to see how it measures up.

maybeg35

No cars yet but mods abound. They are working on a US page now. Open this and look for V35 under Parts Directory in upper right.

http://www.nismo.co.jp

jdbtensai

the 330i has more weight in the front then the rear, though only by a small margin. something like 50.2/49.8.

tco99

That would be something if the Skyline 300GT with less HP and a lot less torque can do 0-60 in 5.9sec. I doubt it's a secret since the car is out for a while already. Too bad most of us don't read Japanese. I bet there are lots of car reviews by Japanese Magazine and owners that we just don't know where to find.

And regard to the 52/48 or 50.2/49.8 controversy. 1.8 percent is 60 pounds! I doubt you can really tell the difference. Do we even know if these numbers is measured with a full tank of gas? if not.. there's your 50/50! What about the driver? How much does he weigh? It's 60 pounds .. give it a rest.

gandhim3

Browsing through that site, I came across the Stagea. Kinda makes me wish either Infiniti or Nissan would sell that wagon in the US.

I would buy that over the sedan - its pretty much the same chassis.

And tco99 - unless the driver is a teenage ballerina or gymnast, the driver weighs a lot more than 60 lbs (just teasing - these guys a re splitting hairs - conveniently ignoring the fact that the G35 offers the accomodations of the 5er or Audi A6, but in the 3er weight class).

riez

Thinking there could be some substantial differences. Weight. Different standard equipment and options can lead to different weights. Emission controls. Tires. Shocks. Transmissions & gearing. ECM/TCM software & fuel required. Different co-efficient of drag due to different headlights, tires, etc. Seems like there could be a ton of little differences that collectively add up to a huge difference overall.

Only when an actual production American-spec'ed G35 is finally independently tested will we know what it is potentially capable of doing.

68bullitt

There's a review of the Skyline 350GT with 8 CVT in the March issue of the Japanese edition of Car and Driver. If anyone has a friend in Japan perhaps you can ask them to buy it and then scan those pages and then e-mail them to you or post them on a website. Might have some performace numbers that we're all wondering about.

Here's the link to the magazines's web site for that issue but there's no link for that particular article unfortunately, :-(

http://www.diamond.co.jp/magazines/car/C.html

Look under "Driving Impressions" .

cdnpinhead

Those who care, know, and those who don't, don't. Please skip over this if you're among the 70 - 98% of those who plan to buy the G35 with an automatic.

In a perfect world, the bottom two gears would be chosen to get to 60 mph as quickly as possible. Designing a car that needs third to get to 60 quickly is a career-limiting move.

Next, pick the top gear to give 2000 - 2300 cruise at 75 mph.

Now, it's time to fill in the middle. You can look at 3rd and 4th (or 3rd, 4th & 5th in a 6-speed) to give equal rpm drop per shift (that's the old truck driver in me), or to give good downhill braking, or whatever. Probably if someone died and put me in charge, I'd space the ratios to be equal between second & top.

But, last I checked, no car company sets out with a clean sheet of paper to design a manual. We're lucky if they include one at all. It's a giant tradeoff between low-speed acceleration and top-gear economy. Overdirve ratios and rear-end ratios can be traded off till the world looks level, but end-to-end ratios are all that matter. It's obvious from many of the past posts that those who care know and some who care need training. Most put it in drive. Oh well. . .

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.

stanny1

Great comment Steve. I guess the manufacturers of Manual trannys or the car companies think we can't multiply ratios, figure rpms, or just don't care.
But I'm sure that there are more than two of us that find the current Manual state of mind disappointing. It's like you are supposed to take some hit in mileage and performance to want to shift.
Let's hope the G35 gets it right. They will have more of a chance with a six-speed. You should get a higher first and a lower sixth than any automatic. The 350Z will be tell us a lot.

infinitiseller

This car is fantastic. There ia a big difference between the sport and regular suspension. Had the car up to 220 km/hr on wet roads, incredibly stable and very quiet. Can hardly wait for the G35 coupe!

stooge2000

How did you get to spend a whole afternoon driving one. Are you an infiniti employee? If so, how could we trust your statement on how good the car is? (LOL)

riez

infinitiseller... How fast is that to us metric-challenged Americans? 135 mph? On wet roads? Excuse me for being a bit incredulous. How many miles were you able to put on it at speeds in excess of 100 mph? Hom many RPMs was the engine turning over at 100 mph? 220 kph?

b4z

To be accurate it is 136.62 mph.

gandhim3

I just recieved an email from Infiniti of Lisle, in Illinois, in which it stated that the upcoming coupe will have 270 hp, and an AWD version of the sedan is scheduled for the Fall. Don't want to take it as the gospel truth, since it is coming from a dealer looking to drum up sales.

But they were saying the preproduction models of the sedan will be available for test drives on Feb 25. They also have a list of incoming G35 that you can order - not a good sign - since all of them look to have list prices above $30K. Here is their site -

http://www.infinitiownersclub.com/g35_frames.htm

stooge2000

The March issue of Popular Science has a blurb: "During a day of testing in Phoenix, we found that the rear-drive G35...embodies a near-ideal mix of muscle and finesse.

corkfish

I was under the impression that this was a $500 option. Does anyone know if this is true? Or, do they make you buy another $2000 worth of options you don't want in order to get it? I'm in my forties, single with no kids and make a good living, but the thought of spending $30,000 on a depreciating asset violates my principles. I was targeting $25,000, but this car seems pretty special so I'm willing to go to 27K or 28K.