New G37 boasts extra power, space, style

Leroy Burnell
The Post and Courier

The 2008 Infiniti G37 S coupe, parked here beside marsh on Wappoo Road, has a streamlined look and a more powerful engine than the previous G series. The luxury sports car is for sale at Baker Infiniti in Charleston.

If a brand's strength is its customer base, then Infiniti went straight to the source to create the next-generation G series luxury sport coupe. The automaker, according to its dealers, took the advice of its buyers.

What's emerged is the 2008 G37 — on first glance not vastly different from the fine-selling G35. But look closer and the G37 has evolved from its flowing fender to the backup camera lens built into the trunk door.

"This is a complete redoing, a new model," says Alan Linnemann, general sales manager of Baker Infiniti in Charleston.

Infiniti, he says, took cues from customers who wanted a juiced-up engine. The new 3.7-liter V-6 motor boosts horsepower from a sprightly 275 to a muscular 330, slashing the 0-60 mph time to 5.2 seconds.

Owners desired more room, so company designers made it easier to get in and out of the car while incorporating a host of power-seat options to fit the size of the driver and passenger. Access to the back seats is smoother, thanks to a push button that slides front chairs forward or backward electronically.

Also, buyers wanted a more refined look. This time, Infiniti drew on its Japanese roots to develop streamlines from tip to tail reminiscent of the ancient samurai sword.

The two-door luxury sport has a base price of less than $35,000, and most safety features, such as anti-lock brakes, stability control, tire pressure monitor and front, side and curtain air bags, are standard.

Extras, including a few innovative perks, can add close to $10,000.

The navigation package includes touch-screen navigation, climate and audio systems and a voice-recognition feature in which the driver can call out commands to change the temperature, radio station or destination on an electronic map. There's also the Infiniti Interface System for iPods, where listeners can touch-scroll the plugged-in iPod's commands on the nav screen, and a 9.3 gigabyte Music Box hard drive that downloads CDs, so they don't have to be carried in the car. The package comes with the Rear View Monitor, a backup camera that always has the back bumper visible.

Andrew Robinson, sales and leasing consultant for Baker Infiniti, says joining the rear camera with the navigation system in the same $2,200 options package stemmed from consumer requests. "Infiniti is listening to customer feedback," he says.

On an afternoon drive afterward, the G37 seemed to prove the adage that "the customer is right," although not always.

As with many coupes, the two-door sacrificed space in the back, especially headroom nearer the sloping back window. The seat belts are tucked back and hard to reach. But these irritants paled in comparison to the luxury sports car's pluses.

Rather than overpowering the coupe, the beefed-up engine pepped things up, giving the G37 quick acceleration on highways. The ride was smooth and steering tight, so the car always felt in control. The trunk is roomy, and there's a cargo hold that folds over the back seats.

The test model offered some of the cool gadgets, including the backup camera and a touch-screen iPod. Most impressive, though, was the voice-recognition system. Maybe it was fortuitous, but — without reading the manual — the commands worked, most of the time. You could raise and lower temperatures on the dual climate control, once accidentally set to 90 degrees, and even bring up on screen a list of the closest restaurants. And the system was dummy-proof so you wouldn't get stuck in nav never-never land.

If this is the wave of the future, then Infiniti is riding the high-tech crest. But even without the gadgetry, the coupe is a fun, comfortable drive — and it doesn't look too shabby.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.