The Infiniti G37 S coupe has got to be a difficult sell in the UK market. Infiniti, Nissan's up market brand, has been selling cars in the US for a whisker under two decades but, unlike Toyota's rival brand Lexus,
Infiniti has only just started selling cars n the UK
Infiniti therefore faces a bit of an image problem. The fact that Lexus has opened up buyers' eyes to the possibility of an upmarket Japanese car brand has got to help Infiniti's cause, but it has taken Lexus 20 years to get where it is today and few people would argue that Lexus has the brand kudos of BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar or Audi.
Interestingly, Infiniti's solution to this problem is to shrug its shoulders, forget about chasing volume and quietly get on with producing some fine cars.
Perhaps the finest of Infiniti's offerings is the G37 S coupe. It's a front-engined V6 coupe with rear-wheel drive, sleek looks and 316bhp to play with, all yours for the apparently reasonable sum of £35,150 (a BMW 335i Coupe will set you back £36,260).
There is another problem, however, and it's called the Nissan 370Z. This uses essentially the same engine - albeit with an extra 5bhp - and is underpinned by a similar chassis. And it costs, in basic form, £26,900.
The G37 S coupe counters - convincingly - with an avalanche of standard equipment that includes full leather and 'self-healing' paint, an extra two seats, and four-wheel active steering. In reality, the G37 coupe is a much more sophisticated, grown-up proposition than the visceral 370Z (and that's intended as a compliment to the Infiniti rather than a criticism of the Nissan).
Hop into the driver's seat and, if you've experienced the cockpit of a Zed, you'll spot the Nissan DNA immediately. But it's all a notch or two higher quality, and the only actual carry-over items from a 370Z are the electric window switches. All in all it's very pleasant cabin in which to spend your time, with the kind of bespoke-yet-business-like feel that has more in common with a good Porsche cabin than the more workaday interior you might find in, say, a BMW.
Stick the seven-speed auto's stubby gear lever in 'D' (there's is a six-speed manual available but Infiniti didn't have any available for us to try) and almost the first thing you notice as you move off into traffic is how strong and linear the engine's power delivery is. Noticeably brisk progress starts at around 3000rpm and builds gently to the 7000rpm power peak, which is a place you'll want to visit regularly to enjoy the gargling V6, but might want to avoid if you have a headache - the engine can get a little intrusive at higher revs.
The meaty-feeling solid magnesium paddleshifts on the steering column - pleasingly reminiscent of those in a GT-R - will encourage you to hang on to gears, however, when you get onto an empty country road.
Winding up the G37 S is, in fact, a thoroughly satisfying exercise in most respects. The steering is assured and, with the active four-wheel mode engaged it's precise, quick and direct. The chassis feels immediately more stiff and alert than in the
saloon version of the G37
(and more together than a 3-series coupe, if it comes to it), while the limited-slip differential that comes with the range-topping S model gives the Infiniti a more predictable, tractable back end, particularly out of slow corners.
It's not a massively fast car, but 0-62mph in 5.9secs (the manual manages it in 5.8secs) and an electronically limited 155mph top speed feel eminently achievable.
The seven-speed auto is smooth and responsive, and the paddleshifts respond with enthusiasm to a driver's requests, but it is a shame that the 'box automatically changes up when you hit the (admittedly soft) rev limiter.
That, and the occasionally intrusive engine note, is about the only real criticism of the G37 coupe we can come up with, though. For the most part, the G37 is a well equipped, refined, brisk, entertaining and sophisticated coupe. The G37 S Coupe may not yet have the brand kudos of rivals such as the Audi A5 or BMW 3-series coupe, but, as a product, it more than stands up to comparison with them.