Motorweek - 2009 Infiniti G37x

Infiniti's G-series has received almost universal praise ever since the third generation sport sedan and sport coupe began arriving in 2003. Now the current gen four and two-door G series continue to be ever more fierce competitors for German and American rivals. Now, the all-wheel drive system is being added to the coupe for a new G37x, and it's a good reason for us to give the "G" a go once more.

Adding all-wheel-drive to a luxury sport coupe like the 2009 Infiniti G37x is smart marketing. It broadens the appeal of a car that already so impressed us that we picked it as our Drivers' Choice Best Sport Coupe of the year.

Those great impressions start with its stunning styling! The G37x wears polished panels that flow back from a signature Infiniti double-arch grille and end with an organic tail with underbody air diffusers and dual chrome exhaust outlets.

Standard are 18-inch alloys, with 19-inchers part of the Sport package, and on the G37x, all four are driven by the same active-torque management all-wheel-drive system as the G37x sedan and second-generation FX luxury sport-ute.

Driving the system is the G Series' powerful 3.7-liter V6 engine. Its advanced variable-valve-timing and variable valve lift system helps it deliver 330-horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. That's more horsepower but less torque than the BMW 335xi Coupe.

The potent V6 feeds power to all four wheels through a new 7-speed automatic with throttle-blipping Drive Shift mode and Downshift Rev Matching. The new transmission boosts Government Fuel Economy Ratings to 18 city/25 highway. We averaged 21 miles-per-gallon in mixed driving on premium gas. The Energy Impact Score is 17.1 barrels of oil per year, with a carbon footprint of 9.2 tons of CO2 emitted each year.

With all four wheels grabbing traction, our G37x raced to 60 in only 5.2 seconds, a full second faster than the rear drive 5-speed auto G37 we tested last year. Quicker, too, the quarter-mile at 13.7 seconds and 103 miles-per-hour.

This V6 is a jewel and easily among the most responsive of its type. The 7-speed was a little slow to shift in full automatic, but much sharper when using the Drive Shift mode with fewer dropped rpms.

The drivetrain's performance is matched by a chassis derived from Nissan's Z-Car. It continues with a tightly tuned, lightweight double-wishbone front/multi-link rear suspension. Infiniti's 4-Wheel Active Steering that adjusts steering and rear geometry to match speed and road conditions is optional.

Even without that, we found grip levels to be extremely high, as the G37 snapped briskly into corners with just a touch of front end push. Well programmed stability and traction control are standard. Compared to the rear-drive "G," steering on the "x" had improved feedback. Even in fast lane changes, the chassis displays excellent, confidence inspiring balance.

We were surprised, however, by the effect that 174 pounds added to the curb weight of the G37x had on braking. From 60 to 0, a longest 135 feet with quite a fair amount of fade. The rear drive coupe did much better.

The G37x is a sporty performer, but one with serious luxury overtones inside. The cockpit-like cabin is superbly equipped with standard leather upholstery on the 8-way power bucket seats. Satellite steering wheel controls and dual zone climate controls are standard but premium Rosewood trim is a $550 option.

Our car also added a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, hard-drive navigation with touch screen controls, and a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box audio system with a compact Flash port and XM Traffic.

Occupant safety comes from standard front side impact and two-row head curtain airbags.

And it all comes to you for a starting price of $39,515. Our heavily optioned test car came to $45,265. Still, that's a bit lower than a similar BMW 335xi Coupe.

The 2009 Infiniti G37x is a worthy all-wheel-drive addition to the already outstanding fourth generation G-Series stable. A more stable steed that gives up very little in performance to its rear-drive kin and impresses us just as much, when the day is done.